Gerardo Cruz
Gerardo Cruz was a father of six who had farmed corn in Michoacán, Mexico, and his widow, Paula Garcia Rivera, said they had been married nearly four decades. He died in 2016 while held at the Otay Mesa Detention Center, a facility run by CoreCivic near San Diego, California. His cellmate said he grew seriously ill over several days, lost his appetite and was in severe pain while receiving only over-the-counter medication, and after he began coughing blood he was taken to a hospital, where he was placed on a ventilator and dialysis and died of cardiac arrest. Paula Garcia Rivera's federal lawsuit says he repeatedly asked for medical care and was ignored. CoreCivic and ICE dispute the allegations that he was not given timely care.
Cause of death, as reported: Died of illness (disputed; neglect alleged). His widow's lawsuit says he developed pneumonia and was ignored when he repeatedly asked for medical care, and CoreCivic and ICE dispute those allegations.
Reported by: his widow, Paula Garcia Rivera, in a federal lawsuit (family or their lawyers); his family's lawsuit (family or their lawyers); San Diego Medical Examiner's report (medical examiner or coroner); Human Rights Watch review (advocates).
Lawsuit: His widow sued the federal government and CoreCivic, the company that runs Otay Mesa Detention Center, and the case is ongoing with no settlement reported.