March 22, 2023 – A tragic incident unfolded at the Harris County Jail on Tuesday when a man was found dead in an apparent suicide. Fabian Cortez, 41, was discovered unconscious in a restroom at the Joint Processing Center at 2:32 p.m., having seemingly hanged himself with a drawstring from his clothing.
Cortez had been brought to the facility earlier in the day after being arrested by the Harris County Precinct 5 Constable’s Office on felony charges, including continuous sexual assault of a child and child pornography. Upon discovering Cortez, detention officers promptly initiated life-saving measures, including CPR, before transferring him to the jail’s clinic.
As medical personnel attended to Cortez, an ambulance from the Houston Fire Department was summoned. He was then transported to St. Joseph’s Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 3:29 p.m.
In accordance with state law, the Texas Rangers are investigating the incident, as all jail deaths must be examined by an external law enforcement agency. The Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences is conducting an autopsy to determine the exact cause of death.
