Juan Francisco Flores Hidalgo
Juan Francisco Flores Hidalgo was held at Rikers Island in 2017 and was taken to Bellevue Hospital several times with chest pain, including for heart surgery in August. His son, Jacob Gris, described him as perfectly healthy when he was first held, and his mother travelled from the Dominican Republic to be at his bedside but did not arrive in time. After his surgery, the family's lawsuit says he was returned to his cell and his complaints were ignored, and he collapsed on a city corrections bus in September. He was given a medical release on November 14, 2017 and died at Bellevue on November 16. The family says his death was caused by medical neglect, and a Bronx jury awarded them $6.1 million, while the defense argued his care was appropriate.
Cause of death, as reported: Died from neglect by staff (disputed). His family's wrongful death lawsuit says medical neglect at Rikers and Bellevue caused a fistula, and that his complaints were ignored after his August heart surgery; the defense argued the care was appropriate, and a Bronx jury later awarded his family $6.1 million.
Reported by: family and their lawyers in a wrongful death lawsuit against the city, DOC and Correctional Health Services (family or their lawyers); Bronx jury (court); City & State (reporters).
Lawsuit: His family sued the city, the Department of Correction and Correctional Health Services over alleged medical neglect, and a Bronx jury awarded the family $6.1 million, according to reporting.