The coroner has identified a Zion man who died after he collapsed in his cell and reportedly had a seizure at the Lake County Jail in Waukegan Saturday afternoon.
Victor Morales Jr., 50, of Zion, had been in custody at the Lake County Jail since October 5.
He was being held on the charges of armed habitual criminal, felon in possession of a firearm and aggravated unlawful use of a weapon.
Morales was found around 4 p.m. Saturday having a seizure in his cell, according to Lake County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli.
One of the jail’s nurses was already in the area and quickly responded to the cell along with several corrections officers.
The inmate stopped seizing but then stopped breathing, Covelli said.
CPR was immediately administered by the jail’s nurse and several corrections officers.
An automated external defibrillator was also used in an attempt to restart Morales’ heart.
Paramedics were dispatched and they transported the man to Vista Medical Center East in Waukegan where he was pronounced dead.
Covelli said a review of the security surveillance cameras showed Morales had walked into his single-inmate cell just before collapsing and seizing.
There were no signs of trauma on the inmate’s body and no indications of foul play, Covelli said.
The Lake County Coroner’s Office performed an autopsy on Morales on Tuesday.
Lake County Coroner Jennifer Banek said the autopsy revealed Morales had underlying medical conditions.
There were no significant injuries on his body and a final cause and manner of death are pending further testing, Banek said.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office requested the Lake County Major Crime Task Force to conduct an independent investigation in accordance with protocol.