Clark County jail inmate dies after apparent medical episode

An inmate at the Clark County Detention Center died Wednesday night after suffering an apparent medical episode at the jail, Las Vegas police said.

The 31-year-old man’s death was the third such medical-related death of someone in Metropolitan Police Department custody in the past two weeks. Police spokesman Aden OcampoGomez said Thursday that none of the deaths is believed to be coronavirus related.

The most recent death came after the 31-year-old “appeared to be having a medical episode” about 11 p.m. Wednesday, Metro said in a statement Thursday afternoon.

“Despite medical personnel’s attempt to save his life, the man was pronounced deceased,” police said.

The inmate had been transferred from the Henderson Detention Center on Tuesday and faced coercion and battery-domestic violence charges. He did not have any police interaction prior to the medical episode, police said.

The Clark County coroner’s office will identify the inmate, as well as his cause and manner of death, after his family has been notified.

Metro on Tuesday announced that the day before, a man who was on house arrest died after a “medical episode.” The coroner’s office has identified the man as 39-year-old Baby John Petro of Las Vegas.

Petro’s death was ruled natural due to a pulmonary thromboemboli phlebothrombosis, or a blood clot in his lungs. The other significant condition in his death was atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.

Although his death appeared related to a lung issue, OcampoGomez said on Thursday that it was not related to the new coronavirus. The coroner’s office did not list COVID-19 as a cause or contributing factor of Petro’s death.

Petro was on house arrest and still under Metropolitan Police Department custody, although he had been released from the detention center on March 16.

He was hospitalized at Spring Valley Hospital Medical Center on Monday after medics were called about 4 p.m. to a home on the 5100 block of West Tropicana Avenue, police have said. He was pronounced dead at the hospital at 5:05 p.m., the coroner’s office said.

On April 7, Metro announced the death of another inmate at the jail, whom the coroner’s office later identified as 59-year-old Drew Max of Las Vegas. His cause and manner of death were still pending on Thursday afternoon.

Police also said Max had “suffered a medical episode,” and that there was no police interaction with Max before his death. Metro has said the department does not believe Max’s death is coronavirus related.

Max was arrested three days before his death and faced a misdemeanor DUI charge, police have said. He died at University Medical Center.

Police said Wednesday that four inmates at the jail have tested positive for COVID-19 since March 12. One inmate was released and was recovering at University Medical Center, one was sent home Tuesday after serving a sentence, and two were isolated and recovering. One of those inmates was expected to be released to a family member.

Police said 424 inmates have been monitored for COVID-19 since March 12, with 32 inmates tested. The other test results were pending.

Contact Glenn Puit by email at gpuit@reviewjournal.com. Follow @GlennatRJ on Twitter. Contact Katelyn Newberg at knewberg@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0240. Follow @k_newberg on Twitter.