Inmate Identified Who Died in Custody of Alexandria Sheriff's Office

ALEXANDRIA, VA -- A federal prisoner who died over the weekend has been identified but no one can say how he died or why he was being held.

The inmate who died in the custody of the Alexandria Sheriff’s Office over the weekend is Diego Silva-Fuentes, 54, of Carolina, Puerto Rico, the Sheriff's Office said Monday.

When asked why Silva-Fuentes was being held, a spokesman for the Justice Department said the charges are under seal.

Asked how he died, a spokeswoman for the Alexandria Sheriff's Office said the Alexandria Police Department is handling an investigation of Silva-Fuentes' death.

Silva-Fuentes had been held at the William G. Truesdale Adult Detention Center on federal charges since March 4, per an agreement with the U.S. Marshals Service, according to the Sheriff's Office. He was being housed in a medical unit of the William G. Truesdale Adult Detention Center when he experienced what appears to be a medical emergency, the Sheriff's Office said. The detention center is located at 2001 Mill Road.

Deputies called 911 at 7:44 p.m. and medics with the Alexandria Fire Department transported Silva-Fuentes to Inova Alexandria Hospital where he died at 11:29 p.m., according to the Sheriff's Office. The hospital is located at 4320 Seminary Road, about four miles from the detention center.

Because this is an in-custody death, the Alexandria Police Department will conduct the death investigation, the Sheriff's Office said. In addition, the Sheriff’s Office will conduct its own internal review.

The Detention Center housed an average of 366 inmates in 2015, according to the Detention Center Bureau, which manages the detention center. Of those, roughly two-thirds were housed for state and local charges.

PHOTO of William G. Truesdale Adult Detention Center in Alexandria courtesy of City