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  • A lawsuit claims Fernando Martinez Jr. lost 64 pounds over 73 days before he died while incarcerated
  • His mother, Sonia Esparza, alleges Clark County Detention Center and Wellpath LLC failed to properly treat her son
  • At the time of his arrest Martinez Jr. suffered from schizophrenia, psychosis, paranoia and undiagnosed depression 

A recently filed lawsuit alleges a mentally ill man was starved to death while being held at a Las Vegas jail after staff failed to properly treat him.

The wrongful death lawsuit, filed on December 29 by Sonia Esparza, claimed that her son Fernando Martinez Jr. lost 64 pounds over 73 days before he died while incarcerated at the Clark County Detention Center.

It alleges jail staff and Wellpath LLC, the company in charge of medical care at the detention center failed to properly treat Martinez Jr., which lead to his death.

On December 3, 2022, 33-year-old Martinez Jr. was arrested by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department for making terrorist threats.

According to court documents, at the time of his arrest Martinez Jr. suffered from schizophrenia, psychosis, paranoia and undiagnosed depression.

The wrongful death lawsuit, filed on December 29 by Sonia Esparza (right), claimed that her son Fernando Martinez Jr. (left) starved to death in jail

The wrongful death lawsuit, filed on December 29 by Sonia Esparza (right), claimed that her son Fernando Martinez Jr. (left) starved to death in jail

The lawsuit alleges Clark County Detention Center staff and Wellpath LLC, the company in charge of medical care at the detention center failed to properly treat Martinez Jr.

The lawsuit alleges Clark County Detention Center staff and Wellpath LLC, the company in charge of medical care at the detention center failed to properly treat Martinez Jr.

He reportedly weighed 220 pounds when he was arrested and had dropped to 156 pounds when his body was found dead in his jail cell on February 15, 2023. 

‘Despite being well-aware of Martinez Jr’s impairments and diagnoses, due to prior incarcerations, and his lack of competency, Defendants failed to properly house, treat, monitor, and otherwise protect Martinez Jr. during his confinement,’ said the lawsuit.

The lawsuit claims he had become paranoid about the food being served reportedly told a nurse that he was refusing to eat as ‘the food was all poisoned.’

Martinez Jr.’s cellmate claimed Martinez Jr. would sometimes eat but force himself to vomit right after.

According to the lawsuit a nurse had reported seeing him forcing himself to throw up, but the defendants failed to address it. 

‘Martinez Jr. died because of starvation and dehydration, essentially inanition, caused by Defendants’ lack of adequate care and deliberate disregard for Martinez Jr.’s physical and mental condition,’ said the lawsuit.

On the day of his death, Martinez Jr. was supposedly seen ‘stumbling and had an abnormal appearance in his eyes,’ then later in his cell ‘sleeping with out snoring,’ but was not attended to for several hours.

According to court documents, at the time of his arrest Martinez Jr. (right) suffered from schizophrenia, psychosis, paranoia and undiagnosed depression. He was supposed to have been transferred to a mental health facility by the time of his death

According to court documents, at the time of his arrest Martinez Jr. (right) suffered from schizophrenia, psychosis, paranoia and undiagnosed depression. He was supposed to have been transferred to a mental health facility by the time of his death

Martinez Jr. (right) reportedly weighted 220 pounds when he was arrested and weighed 156 pounds when his body was found dead in his jail cell on February 15, 2023

Martinez Jr. (right) reportedly weighted 220 pounds when he was arrested and weighed 156 pounds when his body was found dead in his jail cell on February 15, 2023

When an officer did go into the cell the 33-year-old was unresponsive. CPR was attempted but according to the lawsuit rigor mortis was already set in. 

The lawsuit also claims that Martinez Jr. was not supposed to be held at the Clark County Detention Center at the time of his death.

On January 18, 2023 Martinez Jr. was found not competent and order to be moved to a mental health facility. 

Esparza is suing for compensatory damages, survival damages and wrongful deaths damages in an amount to be proven at trial.

Wellpath has been under fire in the past in connection to jailhouse deaths. A CNN investigation from 2019 connected Wellpath to over 70 deaths in a five-year period.

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Post sourceDaily mail

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