36-Year-Old Man Man Dies In NYC Jail

NEW YORK CITY— A 36-year-old man died at Rikers Island on Tuesday, making him the ninth person to die in Department of Correction custody this year.

Officers found Cesar Medero Curet experiencing a medical emergency in his bed, and was pronounced dead inside the Robert N. Davoren Center around 6 a.m, according to the DOC.

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The agency did not provide details on the medical emergency.

Stanley Richards, the DOC's commissioner, said the department "mourns the loss" of Medero Curet and the "safety and wellbeing" of inmates remains a top priority.

Fifteen people died in DOC custody last year, according to city data.

Medero Curet, a Legal Aid client, had been held on Rikers Island for around 20 months for attempted-murder charges, and was next scheduled to appear in court on Dec. 16.

"We demand a swift, independent, and impartial investigation into Mr. Medero Curet's death," the Legal Aid Society wrote in a statement.

In August, Clarence Woodward also died at the Robert N. Davoren Center on Rikers Island, where he was being held on murder, manslaughter and assault charges.