Juan Correa Jr.
Juan Correa Jr., 31, died on September 26, 2017, while held in Los Angeles County custody. Records differ on where he was held, with one listing Twin Towers Correctional Facility and others Men's Central Jail. According to the Los Angeles Times, deputies used pepper spray to break up a fight between him and his cellmate, and he collapsed in a shower; the coroner attributed his death to an enlarged heart, and the district attorney found the deputies were not criminally responsible. His parents sued the county, alleging negligence and delayed medical care. A later account by UCLA researcher Nicholas Shapiro says he had acute mental health issues, was moved from the mental health ward at Twin Towers, and died of a heart attack after being pepper sprayed; the coroner's cause and the lawsuit's claims remain disputed.
Cause of death, as reported: Died of illness (disputed; neglect alleged). The coroner attributed his death to an enlarged heart and the family's lawsuit alleges negligence and delayed medical care, while UCLA researcher Nicholas Shapiro says deputies' repeated pepper spraying caused a fatal heart attack.
Reported by: the coroner; Nicholas Shapiro, UCLA researcher.
Lawsuit: His parents sued Los Angeles County, alleging negligence and delayed medical care after he died in a Men's Central Jail shower.