Last week, two more individuals died while in custody in the city, adding to a concerning trend of fatalities among inmates, particularly on Rikers Island, as noted by officers and sources.
Musa Cetin, a 29-year-old pedicab driver, was found unresponsive in his cell at the Midtown South NYPD headquarters on West 35th Avenue near 9th Avenue around 8:33 PM on Friday. Online records indicate he was detained for operating without a license.
A law enforcement source suggested that he may have hanged himself using a jacket.
Earlier that evening, at 8:19 PM, officers had performed a routine check on Cetin and found nothing unusual, according to sources.
Despite attempts by police and EMS to revive him, Cetin was transported to Bellevue Hospital where he later died from his injuries two days after the incident.
The NYPD’s military investigation department is looking into his death.
At approximately 10:15 PM on the same night, 46-year-old Christopher Nieves was also found unresponsive in a cell at Kings County Criminal Court located on Shelmerhorn Street near State Street in downtown Brooklyn.
Nieves was declared dead at the scene by EMS personnel, and preliminary reports indicate he may have suffered a heart attack.
The medical examiner’s office is determining the official cause of death, while the military investigation department is examining the case further.
Nieves had been in custody for allegedly stealing food from Whole Foods on Bedford Avenue in Williamsburg just a day earlier.
These fatalities come on the heels of 44-year-old Jimmy Avila’s recent arrest on Rikers Island around 4:30 PM on Saturday. He is accused of shooting three individuals, including his building manager, Ryan Hines, who was killed during a violent altercation reportedly over a shared backyard in the Bronx.
In a statement, Chairman Lynelle Maginley-Liddie expressed condolences, stating, “We are heavy with the loss of individuals in our care. We mourn their deaths and extend our sympathy to their loved ones. A thorough investigation into the circumstances of these tragic events will be conducted.”
As for Avila’s situation, further information is pending following an autopsy conducted on Sunday, according to the medical examiner’s office.
The Legal Aid Association, which represented Avila in his murder case, cited that he had significant mental health issues and suggested that his condition should have been closely monitored.
