A 19-year-old from Mexico died at the Glades County Detention Center in Moore Haven early Monday morning, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials said.
According to a news release provided by ICE, Royer Perez-Jimenez was found unconscious and unresponsive by a Glades County Detention Center officer around 2:34 a.m. Monday morning.
Staff started CPR, ICE said, before two medical professionals arrived a few minutes later and determined that Perez-Jimenez didn't have a pulse. They then took over resuscitation efforts.
Moore Haven Fire Rescue units arrived minutes later and initiated life-sustaining interventions on Perez-Jimenez, ICE said.
Detainee believed to have died by suicide, ICE officials say
ICE said Perez-Jimenez is believed to have died by suicide, but the official cause of death remains under investigation.
According to ICE, Perez-Jimenez was evaluated by medical staff when he first arrived at the immigration detention center in late February, and answered "no" to all suicide screening questions.
Perez-Jimenez was arrested by the Volusia County Sheriff's Office on Jan. 22 and was charged with felony fraud for impersonation and misdemeanor resisting an officer, ICE said.
He was placed on an immigration detainer the same day, and he was taken into ICE custody on Feb. 21. He was then moved to Glades County Detention Center on Feb. 26.
Perez-Jimenez first entered the U.S. on Feb. 19, 2022, ICE said. He was then located by the U.S. Border Patrol and was granted a voluntary return to Mexico the same day.
However, ICE said he reentered the U.S. on an unknown date.
Per ICE policy, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the DHS Office of Inspector General, and the ICE Office of Professional Responsibility were notified via the Integrity Coordination Center.
In addition, ICE said that the Mexico consulate and Perez-Jimenez's next of kin or designated contact were also notified.
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