Juan Cruz
Juan Cruz, 57, was held at the Rikers Island jail complex in New York awaiting trial when he tested positive for Covid-19 in May 2020. He was moved to the jail ward of Bellevue Hospital and placed on a ventilator. His lawyers persuaded officials to release him because of the severity of his illness, and he died of Covid-19 at the hospital in June 2020. New York City jail authorities said they did not count his death as a jail Covid-19 fatality because he was not in custody when he died.
Cause of death, as reported: Died of illness. New York City jail authorities said he died of Covid-19 but did not count his death as a jail fatality because he had been released.
Reported by: New York City jail authorities (the agency that held him). The only account of how this person died comes from the agency that held him.