Efrain Ledezma Perales
Efrain Ledezma Perales, a Hispanic man, died in December 2020 at a hospital, eleven days after he was held at the Galveston County jail and a deputy pushed him back into his cell, where he struck his head on the floor. The Galveston County District Attorney's Office said his head injury was the cause of death and classed the death as a homicide. Prosecutors said he had tried to leave his cell without permission before the push. A former deputy, Jonathan Wuneburger, pleaded guilty to criminally negligent homicide and agreed to seven years of probation; LULAC leaders called that outcome inadequate, while prosecutors said race played no role.
Cause of death, as reported: Killed by staff. The Galveston County District Attorney's Office says a deputy pushed him back into his jail cell and he struck his head on the floor, and he later died of that head injury.
Reported by: Galveston County District Attorney's Office (outside investigators).