Brownsville police release autopsy results of man found unresponsive in jail cell
A man who was found unresponsive and later declared dead while in police custody died as a result of cocaine and fentanyl, according to the Brownsville Police Department.
Police say Edgar Hernandez, 28, was found unresponsive in his cell on November 2022 after he was arrested on a charge of public intoxication.
In a November news release, police said no force was used during the arrest, adding that there were no signs of trauma or suicide.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Report: Man found unresponsive in Brownsville jail had “powdery substance” in his cell
According to a Tuesday news release, Cameron County’s forensic pathologist determined the cause of death as "acute combined cocaine and fentanyl toxicity."
“The in-custody death of Edgar Hernandez case has been closed,” the release stated. “Hernandez was able to conceal the narcotic to avoid it being found in the search of his person.”
The custodial death report for Hernandez that was filed in January reported that EMS personnel who tended to Hernandez “discovered a piece of white toilet paper containing a small clear plastic bag with a white powdery substance inside of it on Mr. Hernandez’s person.”
The findings of the investigation into Hernandez' to the Cameron County District Attorney's Office, who determined the death was not criminal.