Mexican national who died in custody arrested weeks earlier on weapons charge

lasvegassun.com
By Tovin Lapan
Thursday, Jan. 19, 2012 | 6:41 p.m.

The 36-year-old Mexican national who died at a hospital Tuesday night after being detained by Metro Police and transferred to the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement was arrested earlier in the month on two weapons charges.

On Jan. 4, Miguel Sarabia-Ortega was arrested on charges of possessing a dangerous weapon, a gross misdemeanor, and carrying a concealed weapon, a felony, according to Metro Police.

Sarabia-Ortega, a legal permanent resident, was then arrested Tuesday morning, again by Metro Police, who detained him on suspicion of possessing methamphetamine pipes.

A background check revealed Sarabia-Ortega was subject to an ICE lookout. Metro Police alerted ICE, which took custody of the inmate and transferred him to a local ICE office.

Green-card holders can be subject to deportation proceedings if they commit certain crimes, ICE spokeswoman Virginia Kice said.

At the ICE office, Sarabia became “highly agitated,” according to federal officials, and attempted to remove his handcuffs.

While at the ICE offices, a standard intake interview was conducted with Sarabia-Ortega, according to Kice, and the detainee, when asked about his medical conditions, mentioned only high blood pressure.

After Sarabia-Ortega was placed in a van for transport to an overnight detention facility, he became unresponsive and was taken by ambulance to Desert Springs Hospital. He died shortly after.

The Clark County coroner's office has yet to determine the cause of death, and Metro Police are investigating.

Mexican national who died in custody arrested weeks earlier on weapons charge - Thursday, Jan. 19, 2012 | 6:41 p.m. - Las Vegas Sun