Crime & Safety

Man Found Dead In Passaic County Jail Cell On Day Of Release, Report Says

William Oviedo, 55, could not raise the $1,000 to post bail since his November incarceration.

A Clifton man was found dead in his cell in the Passaic County Jail after committing suicide Thursday — the day he was to be released after spending three months at the facility, The Record reported.

William Oviedo, 55, has been in the jail since November on burglary, theft, and weapons charges in an alleged car break-in, according to the report.

Oviedo was scheduled to appear in court Tuesday after his lawyer, Gina DeVito, made a motion to have him released on his own recognizance, the report said. Passaic County prosecutors did not oppose the motion.

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Oviedo was found unresponsive while attempted to commit suicide shortly before 5 a.m. said Bill Maer, a spokesman for the Passaic County Sheriff’s Office. Maer could not be reached for comment Tuesday.

The sheriff’s special investigation division is investigating Oviedo’s death.

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