Devastated by detention death

A Honduran father died in ICE custody in Indio, alone and thousands of miles from his family. Relatives accuse officials of neglecting his health and demand an investigation.

- BY MELISSA GOMEZ

A MAN prays outside a memorial Mass for Luis Beltran Yanez-Cruz at Our Lady of Soledad Catholic Church in Coachella on Friday.

(Photographs by GINA FERAZZI Los Angeles Times)

A Honduran man who lived and worked in the U.S. for 26 years died after being held at a California immigration detention facility for more than a month, and his family is calling for an investigation, saying he complained of deteriorating health conditions before his death.

Luis Beltrán Yanez-Cruz, 68, died on Jan. 6 at 1:18 a.m. at the John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital in Indio after suffering from heart-related health issues, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials. He was being held at the Imperial Regional Detention Facility in Calexico before he was transferred to the hospital.

Federal officials said Yanez-Cruz was "encountered" during a Nov. 16 enforcement operation in Newark, N.J., but he was not the target of the operation, his daughter said. He was put into removal proceedings, which were pending at the time of his death.

His daughter, Josselyn Yanez, blames ICE for not taking his health concerns seriously and not providing medical attention as his health deteriorated. In a statement, ICE said Yanez-Cruz was put in the detention facility's medical unit for chest pains before being sent to El Centro Regional Medical Center. He was then transported by helicopter to Indio.

YANEZ-CRUZ, 68, had been arrested near his home in New Jersey and moved to California, where he died while in ICE custody.

"There needs to be an investigation because this is not normal," Yanez said. "He started having symptoms weeks ago; they could have done something."