Lake County jail inmate who died Saturday may have suffered heart attack
An underlying heart condition might have led to the weekend death of a 50-year-old Zion man in the Lake County jail, officials said.
Victor Morales Jr. was found having a seizure in his cell around 4 p.m. Saturday and later stopped breathing, officials said.
Despite the swift medical intervention of a jail nurse and other employees, he later was pronounced dead at Vista East Medical Center in Waukegan, officials said.
Steve Newton, chief deputy in the Lake County coroner's office, said Morales wasn't known to have had seizures in the past.
An autopsy performed Tuesday revealed Morales had high blood pressure and a significant buildup of plaque in his arteries - both heart attack risk factors.
Newton said a traumatic medical event like a heart attack or stroke might trigger a seizure.
Newton said he hopes pending blood tests will give the office a clear picture on what prompted Morales' seizure.
The results likely will be ready in three to four weeks, he added.
Morales had walked into his cell and the door closed minutes before he was spotted on the floor by a passing inmate, Lake County sheriff's Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli said.
Covelli said the inmate promptly alerted jail employees, who administered CPR and used an automated external defibrillator to try to save his life.
The Lake County Major Crimes Task Force is conducting the investigation into Morales' death.
Morales was taken into custody Oct. 5 and faced five felony gun possession charges and one count of driving under the influence of alcohol, according to court records.