Lake County jail inmate accused of trying to hire hit man found dead

A Lake County jail inmate who had been accused of attempting to hire a hitman was found dead in his cell with a strap wrapped around his neck Wednesday afternoon.

Jonathan Velazquez, 34, of Mundelein had been moved July 1 to a cell where he was alone and away from the general inmate population after he was charged, according to Lake County Sheriff's Detective Christopher Covelli.

"Right now we don't want to speculate on the manner of death," Covelli said. "There is nothing at this point to indicate any sort of foul play."

Attempts made by the jail's medical staff to save Velazquez's life were unsuccessful.

Velazquez was initially jailed on a criminal sexual assault charge. In June, detectives from the Lake County Sheriff's Gang Task Force learned of his plot to kill a witness against him, according a news release from the sheriff's office. When Velazquez made formal arrangements to pay a hitman more than $1,000, the "hitman" was actually an informant working with detectives, police said.

The cause of Velazquez's death is under investigation.