Juan de León Gutiérrez
Juan de León Gutiérrez was a 16-year-old from Camotán, Guatemala, whose mother said he had never had any serious illness beyond colds or an occasional cough. He died on April 30, 2019, while held in immigration custody at Casa Padre, a facility in Brownsville, Texas, run by the nonprofit Southwest Key. He became ill around April 21, was taken to a hospital emergency room and released, then returned by ambulance and moved to a children's hospital in Corpus Christi, where he spent several days in intensive care. The Nueces County medical examiner attributed his death to Pott's puffy tumor, a rare condition caused by infection in the frontal bone, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has not explained why he was first released, which advocates have asked to be clarified.
Cause of death, as reported: Died of illness (disputed; neglect alleged). The Nueces County medical examiner attributed his death to Pott's puffy tumor, an infection-related condition, but advocates have called for more information about why he was first released from the hospital and about his care.
Reported by: Nueces County medical examiner (medical examiner or coroner); advocates.