Connecticut Inmate Hangs Himself With Face Mask

A Connecticut inmate used his prison-issued cloth face mask as a ligature to hang himself while sitting on his bunk, officials say. The death of 32-year-old Daniel Ocasio, who was found on his bunk at the Corrigan-Radgowski Correctional Center at 5:07am Wednesday, has been ruled a suicide by the state's chief medical examiner. Officials say there will be a full investigation, including an examination of the cloth material used. "With that being said, there are all sorts of authorized materials that could be used to self-harm," Department of Correction spokeswoman Karen Martucci, tells the New York Times. "We are not going to have a knee-jerk reaction here."

Ocasio was found by a staff member conducting a routine check at the Uncasville facility, Fox 61 reports. The 32-year-old had been held at the center in lieu of $10,000 bond since Aug. 5 on a charge of third-degree burglary. State officials say 14% of the 9,596 inmates in the system have been infected with the coronavirus, along with nearly 400 employees. Seven inmates have died. Martucci tells the Times that inmates must wear masks when they enter a common area. (More face masks stories.)