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Family of detainee who died in jail files federal civil lawsuit against County of El Paso

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- Lawyers representing the family of Vincent Leyva, 42, tell ABC-7 that they filed a federal civil lawsuit against El Paso County. Leyva died on March 13, 2023 after he was arrested and booked at the Downtown Detention Facility.

Court documents obtained by ABC-7 state that initial investigations revealed no evidence of foul play in Leyva's death. Court documents also say that Leyva had medical problems, and officials listed his manner of death as accidental. The medical cause of death was listed as esophageal rupture. Acute mixed drug toxicity was also listed in the court documents as a contributing factor in Leyva's death.

The lawyers for Leyva's family say that Leyva's physical condition deteriorated in the days after his arrest. The lawyers say that at one point, Leyva asked for medical assistance in jail when he could not breathe and felt chest pain. The lawyer says that Leyva was returned to his cell and suffered until his ultimate death.

“We continue to see cases across our country where jail detainees are not receiving needed emergency medical care," lawyer Dean Malone said in a statement to ABC-7 today. "There is no need for a man to die from a ruptured esophagus when there are skilled surgeons in El Paso that could have conducted necessary surgery. It is unfortunate that deaths continue in the El Paso County jail.”

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