Prisoner Found Hanged in Jail Cell
A Hawthorne man was found hanged in a Torrance jail cell Friday morning, police said.
Fernando Antonio Merejo, 42, was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics. Torrance Police Sgt. David W. Smith said Merejo had apparently used his own clothing to hang himself.
Merejo was arrested Thursday at his job, Freeman Products, in Torrance. Police said Merejo was booked on suspicion of grand theft and placed in a cell with other prisoners that afternoon.
At 7:15 a.m., the other prisoners were taken to court. An hour later, a jailer found Merejo.
The case is being investigated by Torrance police, Smith said.
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