Inmate jailed for 2 years dies after emergency in medical ward at Harris County Jail: HCSO

HARRIS COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) -- A man who has been in custody since March 2021 at the Harris County Jail died on Saturday, according to the sheriff's office.

According to officials, 66-year-old Albert Rios suffered an apparent medical emergency inside a dayroom in the jail's medical ward.

Lifesaving measures and CPR were performed on Rios before he was taken to a local hospital by the Houston Fire Department.

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Rios was pronounced dead at 1:35 p.m., officials said.

According to the sheriff's office, Rios had no apparent physical injuries.

He has been incarcerated since March 7, 2021, for two counts of aggravated sexual assault of an elderly or disabled person, according to records.

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His death was reported to the Texas Commission on Jail Standards and is being investigated by the Texas Rangers, which is in accordance with state law that requires an outside agency to investigate all jail deaths.

"The Sheriff's Office Internal Affairs Division is also investigating to determine whether all applicable policies and procedures were followed, which is standard following the death of a person in jail. The man's cause of death will be determined by an autopsy conducted by the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences," the sheriff's office said in a statement.

By Eyewitness News' count, there have been 12 in-custody deaths at the Harris County Jail so far this year. ABC13 has chronicled the conditions, issues, and the search for accountability involving the county's detention center, including the staggering 19 deaths last year.

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