Lucio Vasquez/Houston Public Media
Another man died this week after a “medical emergency” at the Harris County Jail, according to the Harris County Sheriff’s Office. This is the sixth reported in-custody death this year.
Hugo Mota, 41, was admitted to the prison in March and is accused of continued violence against his family, according to court documents. On Monday, months after his incarceration, he suffered an apparent “medical emergency” in his cell block and was taken to the prison’s clinic, where “life-saving measures were initiated,” according to the sheriff’s office.
He was then taken to St. Joseph Hospital, where he was eventually pronounced dead at 2:57 p.m.
State law requires all in-custody deaths to be investigated by an outside law enforcement agency. According to the sheriff’s office, Mota’s death is being investigated by Houston police, while the cause of death will be determined by an autopsy conducted by the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences.
RELATED TOPICS | Widow files federal lawsuit against Harris County Jail after husband’s death
At least six people have reportedly died in sheriff’s custody this year. Last month, 63-year-old Dianna Williams died after being arrested for “a history of numerous medical and mental health issues,” according to her death report. She died on July 17 after apparently suffering a “medical emergency.”
At least 19 people died in custody last year. That followed a record number of deaths in custody in 2022, when at least 27 people lost their lives – the highest number in nearly two decades, according to county records and data from the Texas Justice Initiative.
Since September 2022, the Harris County Jail has been repeatedly found to be out of compliance with the state’s minimum standards. In addition, several federal lawsuits have been filed against Harris County, including one accusing the county of creating a “culture of death” at the jail.
