Harris County Jail inmate dies, marking 2nd jail death of 2026, according to HCSO

HARRIS COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) -- Harris County Jail reported that one of their inmates died after being rushed to the hospital, marking the second inmate death of the year, according to authorities.

SEE ALSO: Harris County Jail reports first inmate death of 2026, according to HCSO

The Harris County Sheriff's Office said in a statement that a Harris County Jail inmate, 56-year-old Anthony Delarosa, was taken to HCA Clear Lake Hospital on Jan. 20 after "experiencing a medical emergency." Delarosa was later pronounced dead at the hospital at 11:35 a.m. on Jan. 24, HCSO stated.

According to officials, Delarosa had been housed in the Harris County Jail for 19 days after being charged with injury to an elderly person causing bodily harm.

Authorities said the inmate's death was reported to the Texas Commission on Jail Standards.

HCSO stated that the Texas Rangers are investigating the death. This procedure is in accordance with a state law that requires all jail deaths to be investigated by an outside law enforcement agency, officials said.

HCSO added that the Sheriff's Office Internal Affairs Division is also investigating to determine whether all applicable policies and procedures were followed in this case. The agency said this is also standard following an inmate death.

The Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences will determine Delarosa's cause of death following an autopsy, authorities said.

Delarosa's death marks the second inmate death for the Harris County Jail, according to officials. This comes after the jail saw 20 deaths in 2025, according to a report from the Houston Chronicle.