Suspect Who Tried to Kill Self Is Taken Off Life Support; Dies

A murder suspect who attempted suicide by hanging himself with bed sheets in his Orange County Jail cell died Saturday after being taken off life-support systems at UCI Medical Center in Orange, authorities said.

Juan Ceja, 27, of Santa Ana was found last Sunday hanging by a piece of bed sheet in his medical observation cell in the jail, according to Dist. Atty. Investigator Tom Icenogle and Orange County Sheriff’s Sgt. Jim Sidebotham in a joint, prepared statement. Ceja was the sole occupant of the cell, they said.

After being treated at the scene, Ceja was transported to UCI Medical Center and placed on life-support equipment, according to the statement read Saturday by Sheriff’s Lt. Tom Conner.

On Friday, Ceja was taken off life-support equipment at the request of his family, according to authorities.

At 6:05 a.m. Saturday, Ceja “was found not to be breathing” and he was pronounced dead at 6:22 a.m., Conner said. An autopsy was performed Saturday, but the cause of death is unknown pending further toxicological studies.

An investigation into the death is being conducted by the district attorney’s office, a standard procedure for in-custody deaths, Conner said.

Ceja was booked for homicide in connection with the March 5 shooting of Manuel Ramirez in Ramirez’s Video Disco International store on South Main Street in Santa Ana.

Ramirez had turned down Ceja’s application for membership at one of several shops he owned because the address and phone number Ceja had given did not check out, friends of the slain man said.

Conner said Saturday he did not know why Ceja had been placed in the jail’s medical observation cell.