WHEATON, Ill. — DuPage County has agreed to an $11 million settlement with the family of an Addison woman who died while in custody at the county jail, addressing allegations that the jail staff failed to provide adequate medical and mental health care to the detainee.
Reyneda Aguilar-Hurtado, 50, was found unresponsive in her cell on June 12, 2023, and later pronounced dead. A lawsuit filed by Aguilar-Hurtado’s family names DuPage County Sheriff James Mendrick, along with several other jail medical personnel and deputies, citing negligence in care.
Following her death, the medical examiner determined that Aguilar-Hurtado died from multiple organ failure caused by an untreated psychotic disorder, compounding her tragic end. Aguilar-Hurtado, who was suffering from schizophrenia, had been arrested on a misdemeanor battery charge and was declared mentally unfit to stand trial.
On April 20, a judge directed that she be transferred to a state mental health hospital for assessment and care. However, the transfer never occurred. Aguilar-Hurtado remained in jail where, according to the lawsuit, her condition visibly deteriorated, with no substantive intervention from the responsible medical or correctional staff.
Disturbingly, the complaint highlighted instances where Aguilar-Hurtado was neglected while displaying clear signs of distress, including instances of vomiting blood and periods where she was too weak to walk. Despite these symptoms, there was a significant delay in psychiatric evaluation, and she lost a substantial amount of weight during her incarceration.
In response to the settlement, DuPage County Board Chair Deborah Conroy called the incident a “horrific tragedy” and a “perfect storm of failures.” Conroy pointed to systemic issues in handling mental health crises within the jail system that lead to such dire outcomes. She noted the county’s ongoing efforts to launch a crisis recovery center, aimed at providing immediate assistance to individuals facing psychiatric or substance abuse crises. However, this facility, expected to open late this summer, will not offer long-term care.
The family’s lawyer, Michael Mead, stated that the family declined to comment on the settlement details. Sheriff Mendrick has also not responded to inquiries regarding the case.
The incident and subsequent settlement have intensified discussions around the adequacy of mental health care and general medical services provided in detention facilities. With an emphasis on preventing future occurrences, Conroy has urged Sheriff Mendrick to ensure thorough evaluations of current policies and practices concerning inmate care.
As the community anticipates the opening of the new behavioral health center, there’s a collective hope for improvements in handling similar cases in the future and upholding standards that prevent neglect of those under institutional care.
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