KZTV10.com
CORPUS CHRISTI, TEXAS | CONTINUOUS NEWS COVERAGE
Continuous News
Brooks Cty Dead Inmate Lawsuit
Posted: Jul 8, 2011 8:01 PM by Andy Liscano
BROOKS COUNTY, Texas - On New Year's Eve 2008 Mario Garcia pled guilty to 2 charges of submitting fraudulent bids to the government to win contracts at the Corpus Christi Army Depot.
U-S Districty Judge Janice Graham Jack ordered Garcia be taken into custody until sentencing. Garcia was brought to the Brooks County Detention Center and placed on suicide watch. He was there when he died January 12th, 2009.
His family is suing the jail and some of it's officials. Kathy Snapka represents Garcia's family. "It is our allegation that the prison disregarded his very, very serious medical condition and that's why days after he was sent to Brooks County he died," she said.
Snapka says the case has flipped between district and federal courts, but now a February trial date has been set in Mc Allen where U.S. District Judge Randy Crane sits. "He's aware that the matter's been on file for a significant length of time. And I think that he wants the case moved along," Snapka told Action Ten News.
According to the lawsuit, Garcia had a known seizure disorder and was on medication for it. And that he suffered from seizures and headaches while in jail. It also says jail officials 'breached their duty of care to Garcia by failing to care for his medical needs.
The Brooks County Death Certificate lists Garcia's cause of death as seizure disorder. The nueces county medical examiner's autopsy says the same thing.
The defendants in the case are LCS Correction Services, which owns the jail, former jail warden Miguel Niderhauser, and Dr. Michael Pendleton, former head of the jail's medical staff.
On Janaury 23rd 2009, just days after Garcia's death, we reported that LCS President Dick Harbison told us Niderhauser resigned and Pendleton's contract was terminated.
Attorneys for all defendants told us by phone today that they couldn't comment on a pending case, but that their clients plan to vigorously defend themselves.
Video On Demand
Submit Breaking News
Do you have a tip or information about a breaking news story? Contact the KZTV 10 News Desk at 361-883-7070 x151 or send us an email.
KZTV10.COM is Social!
Click the icons above to receive News, Weather, and Sports alerts from KZTV10.COM!
Inside KZTV10.COM
 |
Photo Central Look at photos and videos and share them! |
 |
KZTV10.COM Mobile Website Get KZTV10.com on your mobile or PDA! |
 |
KZTV10.COM Mobile Apps Get our mobile apps on your mobile or PDA! |
 |
Texas Lottery See the latest winning numbers! |
 |
10 News Team Read about your favorite KZTV personalities! |
Comments