For the second time in less than a week, an inmate has died at the Chatham County Detention Center.
According to a news release from the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO), a Chatham County sheriff’s officer discovered inmate Marco Danton Ochoa unresponsive in his cell on Monday around 4:13 p.m. Officers, medical personnel and emergency medical services attempted life-saving measures. He was transported to Memorial Health University Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) Region 5 is leading the investigation to determine Ochoa’s cause of death. Chatham County Sheriff John T. Wilcher will hold a media conference Tuesday afternoon at 2 p.m.
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According to arrest and booking records, Ochoa, 34, has been involved in the legal system since 1997, starting with burglaries and entering cars. His last arrest on serious charges of child molestation and statutory rape occurred in February.
Seventeen inmates have died at the prison since 2016, according to CCSO data. Research found that eight of these deaths were due to suicide, three from illness, one from natural causes and one from an overdose. Ochoa’s death comes four days after another inmate, Lloyd James, died at the prison. The GBI is also conducting an investigation into James’ cause of death.
Drew Favakeh is the public safety and courts reporter for the Savannah Morning News. You can reach him at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Second Chatham County inmate dies in less than a week
