Family says El Paso County Jail ignored inmate’s calls for help before he died
Heriberto Perez Lara
EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — An El Paso family said they had to go request medical help for George Vargas because jail workers were not doing anything about him not feeling well for days. He later died.
Vargas, 27, was being held at the El Paso County Jail since March of 2025. He was accused of transporting/importing meth.
ABC-7 spoke with the Vargas family. They said some things are still unclear after they learned he died. The family said he was dealing with some health issues since last Monday.
Vargas’ mother said she went to the jail Friday. She said she demanded that her son receive medical help.
“My son told me he was feeling really bad, that he couldn’t breathe anymore, that he felt weak, his bones ached, and he felt like he was going to faint,” Rosa Vargas said.
ABC-7 obtained the custodial death report, which said Friday is when medical staff were requested. He was later taken to a hospital. He died Sunday from blood clots in his lungs, according to the report.
The Vargas family said no one from the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office or any other local or federal agencies reached out to them since he died.
ABC-7 reached out to the Sheriff’s Office for comment and for an interview, but they had previously declined interviews for individual in-custody deaths.
In a statement, the EPCSO said:
“I can confirm that our detectives have been in contact with the family on different occasions,” a spokeswoman said. “Regarding the medical treatment, the death is still under review. As the Sheriff stated, every custodial death is independently investigated by our Major Crimes Unit, the Texas Rangers, and TCJS. Our Internal Affairs Division also conducts a separate administrative investigation to determine whether any policies or procedures were violated.”
The Vargas family set up a GoFundMe page to help cover funeral costs. You can find it here.
