The Ozaukee County Sheriff’s Office released an update on the investigation into the death of an inmate at the Ozaukee County Jail last June through a Facebook post. Nelson Javier Torres Morales, the inmate in question, was found dead in the jail’s intake area after being taken into custody following a traffic stop by the Mequon Police Department.
According to the statement obtained by the Ozaukee County Sheriff's Office, Mr. Torres Morales was held for roughly 42 hours prior to his death, initially arrested on an out-of-county theft warrant and later for additional offences, including possession of drug paraphernalia and felony possession of narcotic drugs. During incarceration, he was placed on a withdrawal protocol due to symptoms consistent with opioid withdrawal.
Mr. Torres Morales was last checked by jail staff during medication administration four hours before he was found unresponsive in his cell at about 2:30 a.m. Surveillance footage reviewed by investigators did not show any obvious signs of distress or ingestion of illicit substances. The subsequent autopsy by Dr. Wieslawa Tlomak, Chief Medical Examiner at the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner's Office, revealed pre-existing health conditions and the presence of several drugs in his system. His death was ruled an accidental drug overdose.
No evidence of negligence or wrongdoing by the personnel of Ozaukee County Sheriff’s Office was found in a review of the case file by Ozaukee County District Attorney Benjamin Lindsay. The sheriff’s office stated, "The unforeseen loss of life is a profound tragedy that resonates not only with those who knew and loved Mr. Torres Morales, but also with those entrusted with his custody and well-being."
