Polk County

Inmate is found hanging in cell

September 14, 2007

An inmate in the Polk County Jail was taken to Salem Hospital after he was found hanging in his cell Wednesday evening, officials said.

At 9:10 p.m. Eduardo Moreno-Torres, 29, was found by jail deputies conducting hourly checks, said Polk County Sheriff Bob Wolfe.

Deputies cut him down and administered CPR. The jail went into lockdown until Thursday morning.

Moreno-Torres was placed in a medically induced coma at the hospital.

Moreno-Torres was one of 16 people arrested in a Polk County interagency narcotics bust in Independence and Monmouth.

Wolfe said charges against Moreno-Torres were dropped Thursday because he was facing federal immigration charges and was about to be deported.

Since the facility opened in 1999, one other suicide attempt been reported, Wolfe said.

-- Ruth Liao

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