Suspect Found Dead In HoCo Jail

Several media outlets are reporting that the Columbia man charged with killing a woman found in a Baltimore manhole was found dead himself in his Howard jail cell.

From ExploreHoward:

Victor Hernandez Cruz, 40, of the 9000 block of Lambskin Lane,had been charged with first- and second-degree murder and first- and second-degree assault in the killing of Elda Ardorno Vasquez, 28, of no known address, a Baltimore police spokesman said Monday.

Staff at the Baltimore Central Booking and Intake Center in Baltimore found Cruz unresponsive in his jail cell at about 8 p.m. Monday, said Mark Vernarelli, a spokesman for the state Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services. Cruz was found unconscious only a few minutes after guards had checked on him and found no problems, the spokesman said.

Cruz was transported to Johns Hopkins Hospital where he was pronounced dead, Vernarelli said. No foul play is suspected, the spokesman said, but the DPSCS is investigating the death and the state medical examiner is doing an autopsy.