A Chimayó man hanged himself April 7 while incarcerated at the Taos County Jail, according to the County Sheriff’s Department.
County Undersheriff Ed Romero said deputies had arrested Anthony Martinez, 22, following a phone call from his parents. They reported that Martinez stole the family’s car and left a note telling his family they could retrieve the car by the Rio Grande Gorge.
Romero said the Taos Sheriff’s Office is investigating the hanging, but does not suspect foul play.
“Basically we’ve notified the next of kin, and we’re waiting for an autopsy,” he said.
Romero said Martinez was arrested for car theft and due to concerns that he was suicidal. Martinez was taken to Holy Cross Hospital in Taos for a psychiatric evaluation and transferred to the jail the afternoon of April 7.
“They cleared him, they said he could be moved to detention,” Romero said.
He walked into a shower stall after leaving another suicide note in his cell and hanged himself with a bedsheet around 2 p.m., Romero said. Romero declined to comment on the note.
“I read the note, I saw it, but you know what, I don’t have it in front of me, so I wouldn’t like to comment on what it said,” he said.
An obituary states Martinez enjoyed doing body work and painting cars.