Valerie Cervantez |
| Posted 2009-04-30 by Eastern Arizona Courier |
| Inmate Stops Breathing at Jail A female who was in the process of being booked into the jail was taken to the Mt. Graham Regional Medical Center after she stopped breathing Tuesday morning and was pronounced dead. According to the Safford Police Department, Valerie Cervantez, 28, of Safford was pulled over for a warrant late Monday evening. She was searched at the Police Department and drug paraphernalia was found on her person. Safford officers then walked Cervantes over to the Graham County Jail. While she was waiting to be booked, a detention officer noticed she appeared to be sweating, according to Graham County Sheriff P.J. Allred. The officer received permission to transport Cervantez outside to the sally port so she could cool off and get some fresh air. Soon after that, Cervantez stopped breathing and a detention officer performed cardio-pulminary resucitation while waiting for an ambulance to arrive. Allred told the Courier the cause of death is "totally unknown" and that an autopsy will be performed by the Pima County Medical Examiner. "There was never a combative situation," Allred said. "No Tasers or pepper spray or any chokeholds were ever used against her. . . I'm hoping the autopsy will determine what happened." While Cervantez was outside in the sally port, she was in the jail's restraint chair but was not restrained, according to Allred. He said he called the Department of Public Safety to investigate as an independent agency. The local DPS will give its reports to a Special Victims Unit out of Tucson to see if any further investigation is necessary, according to Allred. By Jon Johnson, Assistant Editor Eastern Arizona Courier Published on Wednesday, April 29, 2009. |
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