She was found unresponsive in her Tarrant County jail cell and died the next day
Authorities are investigating the death this week of a 37-year-old Haltom City woman found unresponsive inside the Tarrant County Jail.
Jennifer Espinoza had been indicted in June on a charge of possessing a controlled substance (methamphetamine) with intent to deliver.
A warrant was later issued for her arrest after she failed to appear in court and her bond was held insufficient, court records show.
Espinoza was booked into the jail on Jan. 10 with a new bond set at $10,001.
Officials say Espinoza was found unresponsive Tuesday when checked on and taken to John Peter Smith Hospital. She was pronounced dead the next day at 4:02 p.m., according to the Tarrant County medical examiner’s website.
A ruling on her cause and manner of death was still pending as of Friday.
The incident is under investigation by the Texas Rangers, said David McClelland, chief of staff for the Tarrant County Sheriff’s office.
“The state requires any death in custody be investigated by an outside agency,” he said.
Lt. Lonny Haschel, a spokesman for the Texas Rangers, confirmed the agency is investigating the in-custody death.
“The investigation is ongoing and no additional information is currently available,” he said.
This story was originally published January 18, 2019 at 1:19 PM with the headline "She was found unresponsive in her Tarrant County jail cell and died the next day."
