Saniyah Cheatham
Saniyah Cheatham, 18, enrolled at Bronx Community College and was saving money to live on her own, and her family describes a close bond with her older brother, who accepted her when she came out as gay. She spent the July 4 holiday at a family cookout in Crotona Park, and a friend said she had been happy recently. After she was taken to the 41st Police Precinct in the Bronx, anonymous NYPD officials told the New York Times that she hanged herself with her sweater in her cell around 12:15 a.m. on July 5, 2025, and she was pronounced dead at Lincoln Hospital. The NYPD says its Force Investigation Division is looking into the death, and her family is waiting for security footage and the autopsy; it is unclear whether anyone saw what happened or whether she called for help.
Cause of death, as reported: Died by suicide. Anonymous NYPD officials told the New York Times she hanged herself with her sweater in her cell, and the NYPD says its Force Investigation Division is looking into the death.
Reported by: NYPD officials (anonymous, as cited by the New York Times) (the agency that held her); New York Times reporting (reporters).