Cause of death for Austin man, 40, who died in custody of Tarrant County Jail is pending
A 40-year-old Austin man died on Friday after being held at the Tarrant County Jail, according to the medical examiner’s office.
Edgar Villatoro Alvarez died in John Peter Smith Hospital’s ICU after being transferred from the jail, according to the medical examiner’s office.
A representative from the Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office declined to release information about the death, stating, “since this event just happened within the last few days, it is an active investigation.”
Law enforcement agencies, including jails, must report in-custody deaths to the Texas Attorney General’s Office, where reports are made public, within 30 days. The report for Villatoro Alvarez’s death has not yet been published.
Villatoro Alvarez was booked into the jail on Dec. 14 on charges of driving while intoxicated, criminal mischief, evading arrest and harassment of a public servant, according to court records.
He is the second person to die while in custody of the Tarrant County Jail this year.
Alvie Johnson Jr., 74, was found by jailers on Jan. 1 with a head injury. Johnson was unconscious and taken to JPS, where he was placed on life support, according to the AG’s office.
He was taken off support two days later and died on Jan. 3. Jailers think he received a head injury after a ground-level fall, according to the AG’s report. Johnson had asthma, high blood pressure and diabetes.
Johnson’s autopsy is still pending.
This story was originally published March 1, 2022 at 1:00 PM.
