Woman's Cause Of Death While In Custody With HCDC And In Opioid Withdrawal Released

HARFORD COUNTY, MD — Officials have released the cause of death of the 33-year-old woman who died May 7 while in the custody of the Harford County Detention Center.

Brittani Ugrotzi was booked into the HCDC on May 3 on theft charges. At the time of her death, she was under the supervision of the medical services provider for medically managed withdraw.

The Office of the State Medical Examiner has released the manner and cause of death for Ugrotzi. Her death was determined to be of natural causes with contributing factors from COVID-19 pneumonia with dehydration complicated by opioid withdrawal. This is the second inmate to die of COVID-19 while in the custody of the Harford County Detention Center since the beginning of the pandemic.

At approximately 10:40 p.m., on May 7, Ugrotzi was found unresponsive in her cell. Deputies assigned to the HCDC and contracted medical services providers began to administer lifesaving aid until medics arrived. Medics continued to provide care, but Ugrotzi was pronounced dead at the scene and taken to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for autopsy and determination of manner and cause of death.