Coroner: Inmate's death natural

MONTROSE - A jail inmate found dead in his cell Sept. 12 died of a heart condition, an autopsy said.

Montrose County Coroner Dr. Thomas Canfield said Gerardo Velazquez-Velazquez, 45, also had cirrhosis of the liver and high blood pressure.

"His blood alcohol, as well as blood drug levels, were negative at the time of his death. There was no evidence of acute trauma," Canfield wrote.

"The manner of his death is natural."

Velazquez-Velazquez was arrested Sept. 11 after he came into a home without permission, then returned after he was asked to leave, police said. Upon his return, an argument ensued and he reportedly drove away at a high rate of speed, striking a concrete porch.

Once at the jail, he was placed on a mental health hold. The sheriff's office said at the time acute intoxication was suspected, so he was checked every 15 minutes until blood alcohol concentration levels fell.

It was during a routine check a short time later that staffers found Velazquez-Velazquez unresponsive in the holding cell.