Teenage Migrant Died in U.S. Custody of Possible Seizure

A 17-year-old Honduran who was placed in a Florida holding center after being processed at the southern border died while in custody of a suspected epileptic seizure, police announced on Monday.

Ángel Eduardo Maradiaga Espinoza died on May 10, five days after being placed in a holding center in Safety Harbor, Florida. He was found unconscious in his room. Espinoza’s mother, Norma Sarahy Maradiaga Espinoza, said that while her son did have a minor case of epilepsy, she did not believe that was the cause of his death.

“He was healthy, he was fine. He was strong because all he did was play sports. He was a strong boy. I haven’t gotten any concrete answers about his death or what happened to him. The facility hasn’t told me anything,” she told 10 Tampa Bay.

“What I need is for them to put their hand on their heart and give me a quick response about everything that’s happened because I need an explanation,” she added.

Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri told reporters that the medical examiner’s report has not yet been completed, but noted that the autopsy found a cut on Espinoza’s tongue that is consistent with an epileptic seizure, which leads them to believe that he died overnight from a seizure.

Officials at the holding center claim that they were unaware of Espinoza’s condition and said he did not have medication on him, but his mother told 10 Tampa Bay that her son “left with his medicine in April. He had it with him.”