VAN NUYS : Prisoner Found Dead at Police Jail
A 32-year-old North Hollywood man apparently hanged himself with a mattress cover in a Van Nuys Jail cell, Los Angeles police said Thursday.
The man, whose name was not made public pending notification of relatives, was found hanging from the cover, which was tied around the bars of his cell door, about 5:20 p.m. Wednesday in the jail at the Van Nuys Police Station, Officer Art Holmes said.
The man was pronounced dead at the scene, Holmes said, and the death was being considered a suicide.
The man was arrested shortly before noon Wednesday in North Hollywood for investigation of assault with a deadly weapon, said Holmes, who provided no additional details of the arrest.
The man was taken to the North Hollywood Police Station, but told police he had the HIV virus and around 1 p.m. was transferred to the Van Nuys Jail, which has medical personnel, Holmes said. He was found dead about four hours later.
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