Families sue Texas City in federal court for deaths in police custody
Houston Chronicle · Jarrod Wardwell ·
The estates of Derrick Dwayne Glenn and Rego Berto Ornelas Jr. filed federal civil complaints against Texas City and police officers over in-custody deaths.
The families of two men who died in Texas City police custody in 2024 have sued the city for allegedly failing to provide proper medical care as they experienced health emergencies in their final moments, according to court documents.
The estates of Rego Berto Ornelas Jr. and Derrick Dwayne Glenn filed separate federal civil complaints against Texas City and several local police officers over the two in-custody deaths, which occurred less than two months apart in the fall of 2024. The complaints allege Ornelas died of methamphetamine toxicity after police drove him to jail instead of the hospital, and Glenn died with an obstructed airway after swallowing a plastic bag.
Pearland injury attorney Adalberto Ruiz said the two deaths in Texas City could have been prevented if officers were quicker to call for medical care. The men's families sued Texas City for wrongful death last week and allege police officers flouted their duty to care for individuals in their custody under the U.S. constitution and federal civil rights statutes.
Read the full story at Houston Chronicle · All coverage of this story