Pedro Ruiz
Pedro Ruiz was 19. His mother said he worked construction, liked sports, and as a child danced in Ballet Folklorico, and a man he often helped with groceries remembered him at the funeral as someone with a good heart. He was held at Cook County Jail, where he was found unresponsive in his cell on February 1, 2020, and taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The county medical examiner ruled his death a homicide, citing multiple injuries from a beating, and prosecutors say his cellmate beat him for about ten minutes with a sock filled with soap. His mother, Leticia Ruiz, has sued Sheriff Tom Dart and Cook County, saying jail officials knew of the cellmate's history of attacks and should have kept the two men apart, and the Daily Mail reported that guards did not reach the cell for roughly half an hour, while the sheriff's office said it opened an internal investigation.
Cause of death, as reported: Killed by another person in custody (neglect alleged). Prosecutors say his cellmate beat him to death, and his mother's wrongful death lawsuit says jail officials housed them together despite a known risk and that guards did not reach the cell for about half an hour.
Reported by: Cook County Medical Examiner (medical examiner or coroner); Cook County prosecutors; Pedro's mother, Leticia Ruiz, in a wrongful death lawsuit (family or their lawyers).
Lawsuit: His mother, Leticia Ruiz, and family sued Sheriff Tom Dart and Cook County in a wrongful death lawsuit, with no settlement or verdict amount reported.
Sources (17)
- Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority, Death in Custody Reports (edition of 2026-07-28)
- Cook County Jail inmate found dead in cell from head trauma
- Inmate Found Beaten To Death In Cook County Jail
- Death of Cook County Jail detainee found dead in his cell ruled a homicide - Chicago Sun-Times
- Update: Cook County Jail Detainee Death Ruled a Homicide
- Murder charge filed in detainee beating death at Cook County Jail
- Cook County jail detainee charged in cell-mate’s death
- Christian Gonzalez Charged With Murder In Death Of Cook County Jail Cellmate Pedro Ruiz, A Rival Gang Member
- Timeline: The Murder Of Cook County Jail Inmate Pedro Ruiz
- Gang Member Accused of Killing Rival Gang Member in Cook County Jail Cell
- Gang member 'beats rival to death with a half hour after they were placed in the same jail cell'
- Burbank Gang Member Accused In Fatal 'Soap Sock' Jail Beating
- Family of Cook County Jail inmate beaten to death files suit alleging officials knew of ‘high likelihood’ of attack - Chicago Sun-Times
- Family Of Pedro Ruiz, Killed In Cell At Cook County Jail, Sues Sheriff And Cellmate Christian Gonzalez
- Mother of Teen Killed Inside Cook County Jail Files Wrongful Death Lawsuit
- Family of Chicago man beaten to death in Cook County Jail cell files lawsuit: ‘Nothing is going to take away this pain’
- Family of man killed in jail cell beating sues Cook County, sheriff's department - WGN-TV