Nicolaus Hernandez
Nicolaus Hernandez, 32, was a father of three from Casa Grande, and his mother said he had a soft heart and was very giving. He died on October 19, 2018, in his cell at the Maricopa County Fourth Avenue Jail in Phoenix, where he was held pending trial. Surveillance video and a Maricopa County Sheriff's Office investigation show he was found unresponsive after a security walk, and staff and other people held nearby waited several minutes for the cell door to open before CPR and firefighters arrived. The Maricopa County Medical Examiner ruled the death an accident caused by alcohol and fentanyl. His family asks why staff did not notice him in distress and why medical help took several minutes, and they are reviewing legal options.
Cause of death, as reported: Died of an overdose (disputed; neglect alleged). The medical examiner ruled the death an accident from ethanol and fentanyl, while his family questions why staff did not notice him in distress and why medical help took several minutes to arrive, and says they are reviewing legal options.
Reported by: Maricopa County Medical Examiner (medical examiner or coroner); Maricopa County Sheriff's Office (the agency that held him); his family.