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Rosita Diaz was arrested Thursday, February 17, 2022, for alleged possession of narcotics, the State Attorney General's Office said. Between Feb. 17 and Feb. 18, she was taken to a hospital several times for either medical issues or medical/psychological clearance for incarceration, authorities said.
After her last discharge from the hospital, and while awaiting transportation to the jail, she was found unresponsive in a Paterson Police Department holding cell on February 18 at approximately 5:55 p.m., authorities said. After EMS were called, Diaz was pronounced dead, authorities said.
Toxicological testing showed that Diaz had fentanyl and cocaine in her system at the time of her death, authorities said The Medical Examiner determined Ms. Diaz’s death was an accident, authorities said.
Diaz's death was investigated by the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability in accordance with a 2019 law that requires the Attorney General’s Office to conduct investigations of a person’s death that occurs during an encounter with a law enforcement officer acting in the officer’s official capacity or while the decedent is in custody
The investigation included witness interviews, review of body-worn camera and surveillance footage, medical records, as well as autopsy and toxicology results from the state medical examiner, authorities said.
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