Jorge Zuniga
Not found on the Texas Attorney General’s published list of deaths in custody.
Jorge Gonzalez Zuniga was a 22-year-old man and a father of a young son; his sister described him as a hardworking husband, father and son who liked barbecuing for his family on weekends. He was held at the Hidalgo County Jail in Texas after an April 2020 arrest, and his family's lawsuit says deputies crushed a vertebra in his neck and that he was left in his cell for more than 21 hours without medical care. He was hospitalized, was reported to be paralyzed from the chest down, and was released in June 2020, and he died on July 15, 2020; the family says his injuries and lack of care caused his death. The sheriff's office disputes the family's account of the force and medical care, saying he was seen by a nurse and that his spinal injuries were found hours later.
Cause of death, as reported: Killed by staff (disputed; neglect alleged). The family's lawsuit says deputies crushed his neck during the arrest and jail staff left him unevaluated for more than 21 hours, and that his injuries led to his death; the sheriff's office disputes that account and says he was seen by a nurse.
Reported by: family's federal lawsuit (family or their lawyers); Hidalgo County Sheriff's Office (the agency that held him).
Lawsuit: His family sued deputies and jail staff in federal court over the force used during his April 2020 arrest and the delay in his medical care, and no settlement or award amount was reported.
Sources (4)
- Lawsuit: Texas deputies broke man’s neck, left him in ‘drunk tank’ 22 hours before calling paramedics
- Family sues deputies for man's paralysis and eventual death after arrest
- Family sues officers for alleged use of excessive force and lack of medical care leading to man’s death
- Texas Family Sues Deputies For Excessive Force After Allegedly Breaking Jorge Gonzalez Zuniga's Neck, Then Leaving Him Alone For 21+ Hours