Ector County Inmate Dies After Seizures
By: Dylan Brooks
Updated: March 25, 2011
Juan Carrasco's family celebrated his 33rd birthday Friday morning at Medical Center Hospital. Then, they pulled the plug.
Carrasco had turned himself in to authorities in Ector County on Monday for an outstanding warrant out of Travis County. But on Tuesday, he had a seizure at the jail. Carrasco reportedly fell backwards during the seizure and hit his head on a concrete floor. He was taken to the hospital.
Carrasco's mother bonded him out of jail Tuesday afternoon, but she was told he was unavailable. Meanwhile, the deputies that were at Carrasco's bedside were called away. No one told Naomi Carrasco that her son was at the hospital until hours later. By that time, he was brain dead. Ector County Sheriff Marc Donaldson said the incident shouldn't have happened.
"We failed," Sheriff Donaldson told Big 2. "We didn't notify the family, and our policy is whenever somebody goes to the hospital and stays, is admitted, that we notify the family. That didn't occur, so we are dealing with our supervisors on that shift."
Donaldson adds that he very sorry for the family's loss. The incident is under investigation by the Texas Rangers, to determine exactly what led to Carrasco's injury.


