A tense eight-hour standoff in a Chatsworth neighborhood has now spun into a death-in-custody investigation, after a 59-year-old man who surrendered to police later died inside the Los Angeles Police Department’s Van Nuys regional jail.
According to the Los Angeles Police Department, the man gave himself up to SWAT negotiators after barricading himself inside a home on Delco Avenue. He was first taken to a hospital for treatment, then booked into custody. Not long after, he was discovered unresponsive in a holding cell, and medical staff were unable to revive him.
Police timeline and custody events
The LAPD identified the man as 59-year-old Jose Carlos Hoyos-Munoz. He was arrested on July 13 on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon after allegedly barricading himself for roughly eight hours on Delco Avenue between Plummer Street and Lassen Street.
During the standoff, SWAT personnel deployed chemical agents. Police say Hoyos-Munoz was then taken to a local hospital for treatment related to that exposure before being transported to the Valley Jail Section for booking. The LAPD’s Force Investigation Division has taken over the inquiry into his death, according to a statement from the LAPD.
What happened inside the jail
NBC Los Angeles reports that custody staff removed Hoyos-Munoz from his holding cell at about 3:40 a.m. on July 15, and that the department documented what it classifies as a “non-categorical” use of force.
Officers placed him in a five-point restraint chair so they could take his fingerprints, then moved him into a single-occupant cell, where he remained handcuffed for a short period, according to the reporting. When staff returned roughly 20 minutes later, they found Hoyos-Munoz unconscious and not breathing. Medical personnel and first responders tried to resuscitate him, but he was pronounced dead after those efforts failed.
The LAPD also stated that three detention officers sustained contusions and minor lacerations during the incident and were treated at a hospital.
How the LAPD will probe the death
The department’s policies split uses of force into “categorical” and “non-categorical” groups, with different reporting and supervisory requirements for each. Those rules shape how incidents inside lockups are examined.
The LAPD Department Manual details what qualifies as a non-categorical use of force, along with how investigators are supposed to document such events, review evidence, and coordinate with supervisors and specialized units. As part of the Force Investigation Division’s work in this case, investigators say they will examine video recordings, medical documentation, and witness statements, following procedures outlined in the LAPD Department Manual.
Legal context and what comes next
Deaths that occur while someone is behind bars trigger state reporting requirements and independent review. California has codified how “death incidents” inside local detention facilities must be documented and evaluated.
In Los Angeles County, the Department of Medical Examiner‑Coroner is responsible for investigating custodial deaths. That typically includes autopsies and toxicology testing, among other steps. Depending on what the coroner finds and how the Force Investigation Division’s review unfolds, the case could lead to internal administrative actions or potential criminal referrals, consistent with California law and the protocols described by the Los Angeles County medical examiner.
Local coverage and what to watch
Hoodline previously covered the original standoff that locked down part of Chatsworth. In that earlier reporting, Chatsworth Block Locked Down detailed the July 13 barricade, before the later developments inside the jail.
Authorities say they will release more information as both the Force Investigation Division and the county coroner complete their reviews. Officials are asking anyone with relevant information to contact LAPD Valley detectives or L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers. This story will be updated as additional official reports and the coroner’s findings are made public.
