Jose Reanos-Mendoza
Jose Ramos Mendoza was a self-employed mechanic and auto body paint worker who helped neighbors with car repairs and rides, and his family remembers him as generous, someone who would give his shirt and shoes to people in need. He was held at the Rutherford County Adult Detention Center in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. His family says another person held there attacked him during a dispute over sack lunches, in a pod with no officer present, and that he suffered a severe head injury. He was taken to a Nashville hospital and died in July 2021. His mother's wrongful death lawsuit against the county says the jail failed to protect him; the county denies liability, and the lawsuit is pending.
Cause of death, as reported: Killed by another person in custody (neglect alleged). His family says another inmate attacked him during a dispute over sack lunches while no officer was in the pod, and his mother's wrongful death lawsuit says the jail failed to protect him; the county denies liability.
Reported by: his mother's lawsuit and family (brother Adan Cruz) (family or their lawyers); news report.
Lawsuit: His mother filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Rutherford County over his death, which remains pending according to the reporting.