SAN ANTONIO — A 40-year-old man who was booked into the Bexar County jail Saturday died less than an hour after he was found "unresponsive" in his cell.
Officials with the Bexar County Sheriff's Office (BCSO) said a deputy had communicated with Duane Ventimiglia just minutes before he was found in the middle of an apparent medical episode shortly before 9 a.m. Thursday.
"The deputy immediately called for an emergency code for additional assistance, entered the cell and began performing lifesaving measures," BCSO said in a release.
First responders eventually arrived to assist in trying to help Ventimiglia, but officials say he was declared dead at 9:47 a.m. An official autopsy must still be performed, but BCSO said he may have died from "medical complications associated with a history of substance abuse."
Ventimiglia's bond had been decreased from $1,000 to $25 on Wednesday, online records show. BCSO in looking into the incident internally while the Bexar County Precinct 2 Constable's Office conducts its own investigation.
Ventimiglia is the second person to have died while in custody at the jail this year.
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