Man charged in son’s kidnapping dies in El Paso jail, elderly inmate dies days later
Editor’s note: This story discusses suicide and mental health issues. If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, call El Paso’s Emergence Health Network at 915-779-1800 or the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.
Two inmates, including a man accused of kidnapping his son, died at the El Paso County Jail within days of each other, custodial death reports show.
Miguel Angel Montoya, 30, who made national headlines after kidnapping his son that led to a SWAT situation, was found dead Saturday, Jan. 25, in his jail cell at the El Paso County Jail, 601 E. Overland Ave., in Downtown El Paso, according to a custodial death report filed with Texas Attorney General’s Office.
Montoya was the second inmate found dead in an El Paso jail cell, as Joe Murvin, 72, was found unconscious and not breathing in his cell two days earlier.
The El Paso County Jail in Downtown and the jail annex in far East El Paso are operated by the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office.
“The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office does not issue press releases on deaths related to natural causes, medical conditions, or suicides,” sheriff’s officials said. “However, as required by law, the appropriate state authorities have been notified.”
Murvin’s death appeared “to be due to natural causes,” while Montoya is “believed to be a suicide,” officials said.
“Both incidents are being investigated by the Sheriff’s Office Major Crimes Unit and the Texas Rangers, and the Texas Commission on Jail Standards will review the cases to ensure compliance with all minimum jail standards regarding inmate housing and care,” officials said.
Inmate Miguel Angel Montoya found bleeding from both arms
Montoya was originally arrested March 15 in connection with the kidnapping of his 2-year-old son, Kenji Montoya, which led El Paso police to issue a statewide Amber Alert.
El Paso Police Department officers, U.S. Border Patrol agents, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers and Texas Department of Public Safety state troopers conducted an extensive manhunt for Montoya and the boy.
Miguel Angel Montoya
Montoya and his son were found at a Studio 6 motel in the 1300 block of Lomaland Drive, officials said at the time of the incident. Montoya was taken into custody, and the boy was safely recovered after an hours-long standoff with the El Paso Police Department’s SWAT team.
Montoya was arrested on suspicion of aggravated kidnapping with a deadly weapon, assault of a family member by impeding breath, and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle. He was released from jail April 3 on a bond totaling $120,000.
Montoya was arrested again Jan. 23 on several sexual assault charges. The charges were one count of sexual assault, seven counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child and three counts of indecency with child sexual contact. He was also charged with abandonment and endangering of a child and continuous sexual abuse of a child under 14 years of age.
He was booked into the El Paso County Jail on a bond totaling more than $900,000.
Montoya was being held in a jail cell on the fifth floor of the El Paso County Jail in Downtown El Paso.
Jailers found Montoya laying on his bed bleeding from both his arms about 2:17 a.m., Saturday, Jan. 25, during an “administrative separation check, with face-to-face contact,” a custodial death report states.
Montoya was conscious and alert when jailers found him. The jailers and jail medical personnel “rendered aid and located lacerations to both arms,” the report states.
He allegedly became combative and attempted to refuse medical attention. Montoya “eventually lost consciousness while medical aid was being rendered,” the report states.
A mental health suicide crisis line is available to inmates in isolation cells at the El Paso County Detention Facility.
The jailers and medical staff immediately began administering chest compressions and utilized a defibrillator. El Paso Fire Department Emergency Medical Services arrived at the jail and took Montoya to the University Medical Center.
Montoya was admitted into the Intensive Care Unit, “where efforts to stabilize and revive him continued,” the report states. Montoya suffered multiple episodes of cardiac arrest and was pronounced dead at 7:45 a.m.
No cause of death is listed in the custodial death report as investigators wait for an autopsy to be conducted. Sheriff officials said the cause of death is believed to be suicide.
No further information has been released.
Inmate Joe Murvin found unconscious, not breathing inside
Murvin was booked into the El Paso County Jail Oct. 25 on suspicion of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and a failure to identify, giving false and fictitious Information charges. He was housed in a single jail cell on the eighth floor of the county jail.
A jailer found Murvin at 8:27 p.m. Thursday, Jan 23, unconscious and not breathing inside his cell, a custodial death report states. The jailer was doing “an administrative segregation check” when he found Murvin.
Joe Murvin
The jailer and jail medical staff administered chest compressions and utilized a defibrillator on Murvin, the report states. El Paso Fire Department Emergency Medical Services arrived at the jail about 8:40 p.m.
Murvin was taken to Las Palmas Medical Center, “where emergency medical personnel continued life-saving efforts,” the report states. He was pronounced dead at 9:16 p.m.
No cause of death is listed in the custodial death report, stating investigators are waiting on the results of an autopsy. No further information has been released.
Aaron Martinez covers the criminal justice system for the El Paso Times. He may be reached at [email protected] or on X/Twitter @AMartinezEPT.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: El Paso man arrested in son’s kidnapping dies in county jail
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