Died in jail or a lockup
Joel Loya
Joel Loya, 41, was a loyal friend who supported a longtime friend through her own struggle with addiction, took her in when she was homeless, and looked out for people, she said. He was held at the Pima County Jail, where he was turned away at booking on medical grounds and taken to a hospital, which cleared him, and he was then returned to the jail. After he began vomiting while on a detox protocol, he was taken back to the hospital, where he died on July 31, 2023. An autopsy listed acute pancreatitis as the cause of death, and his girlfriend and friends said they did not understand why he was rejected and then brought back to the jail.
Cause of death, as reported: Died of illness
Reported by: autopsy.