An Española man recently released from Rio Arriba County Jail died of a suspected drug overdose Sunday, according to Española Police.
Eric Martinez, 42, was found unresponsive on the floor of his sister’s McCurdy Road trailer around 11 a.m. the day of his death, according to dispatch logs and Sgt. Richard Gallegos.
“He had a fresh needle track on his arm that pretty much told us, ‘I think this guy overdosed,’” Gallegos said, “But of course it’s not confirmed until the toxicology results come in.”
A loaded syringe was found behind a couch near Martinez’s body, Gallegos said.
Martinez had been in custody at the Jail until Feb. 19 after he was picked up Jan. 12 on a warrant for failure to appear on charges of trafficking a controlled substance, according to Gallegos and an online court records database.
A bruise on Martinez’s forehead suggested he was sitting in a chair when he injected, slumped over, fell and hit his head, Gallegos said.