By Matt Drange
The Times-Standard
DEL NORTE, Calif. — An inmate at the Del Norte County jail died at an Oregon hospital on Tuesday after an apparent assault by his cellmate last month, Del Norte Sheriff’s Cmdr. Bill Steven confirmed Friday.
Jose Rios was found in his cell by correctional officers on Oct. 26 and later transported to Rogue Valley Medical Center in Medford, Ore. The suspect in the assault is Trevor Lehto, 23, who Steven said was originally scheduled to be released on Tuesday after charges stemming from the hit-and-run death of a teenager were dropped.
Steven said the incident was “tragic and very unusual,” and that he expects charges to be filed against Lehto sometime next week.
“We’re conducting a full-scale homicide investigation, and we’re working very hard on this,” Steven said, declining to comment on the specific charges facing Lehto. “Charges will be coming.”
Lehto was arrested earlier this year in connection with the death of 15-year-old Josh Lacy, who was killed in 2007 while waiting for a school bus near Crescent City.
Rios’ autopsy is under way, but as of Friday there was no official cause of death.
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