A man was acting erratically, jumping into yards, screaming and taking off his clothes before he died after being arrested by El Paso County sheriff’s deputies, a sheriff’s commander said.
Roel Contreras, 46, died at Del Sol Medical Center on Friday evening, March 20, after being taken into custody during a disturbance in San Elizario, Cmdr. Jerome Washington said on Saturday morning, March 21, at a news conference at headquarters.
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The cause of death will be determined by an autopsy by the El Paso County Medical Examiner’s Office, said Washington, who heads the Criminal Investigations Division of the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office.
El Paso County Sheriff’s Office Cmdr. Jerome Washington speaks at a news conference on March 21, 2026, about the in-custody death of Roel Contreras, 46, who died after being arrested by deputies in San Elizario, Texas, on March 20, 2026.
Sheriff Oscar Ugarte was unavailable Saturday morning because he was attending a Montana Vista community cleanup event with County Commissioner Jackie Butler, sheriff’s spokeswoman Priscilla I. Contreras said.
Man dies after disturbance in San Elizario
The incident started minutes before 5 p.m. Friday when residents reported a man acting erratically, yelling and climbing into yards and attempting to enter properties in the 12000 block of Campo Bello Drive, Washington said.
“He was also seen running almost full speed, yelling and screaming and jumping over fences,” Washington added.
Deputies arrived to find Contreras in an open field with some of his clothes missing, Washington said, explaining that deputies attempted to check on the man’s well-being.
“As they approached, he was still acting erratic. He was rolling around in the ground, he was yelling and screaming and seemed very incoherent,” Washington said.
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When deputies attempted to check on the man, “he became combative as they were speaking with him and they had to place restraints on him, but this was done with minimal force. No issues at all,” Washington said.
No Taser electric-stun guns and no other weapons were used during the arrest, Washington added.
El Paso County Sheriff’s Office Cmdr. Jerome Washington speaks at a news conference on March 21, 2026, about the in-custody death of Roel Contreras, 46, who died after being arrested by deputies in San Elizario, Texas, on March 20, 2026.
As is common practice, paramedics were waiting nearby for safety reasons until the scene was secure.
As deputies escorted Contreras to a shaded area to wait for paramedics, he became unresponsive and deputies started first aid and CPR, Washington said. Paramedics arrived within minutes, continued CPR and transported him to Del Sol Medical Center. At 6:21 p.m., hospital medical staff pronounced him dead.
El Paso County in-custody death under 3 investigations
The death was unfortunate, traumatic for all involved and “very tragic,” Washington said, explaining that the situation developed very quickly without giving deputies time to determine if they were dealing with a drug-related or mental health issue, nor time to determine if the man faced any criminal charges.
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As is standard practice, three separate investigations are looking into the in-custody death, Washington said. Those investigations are by:
Texas Rangers of the Texas Department of Public Safety
Sheriff’s Office’s Major Crimes Unit
Internal affairs looking at policy and use-of-force procedures.
The three deputies involved in the incident have been placed on administrative leave as standard practice during the investigation, and it is “not an indication of wrongdoing,” Washington added.
Daniel Borunda may be reached at dborunda@elpasotimes.com and @BorundaDaniel on X.
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El Paso County Sheriff Oscar Ugarte is photographed at the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office headquarters in El Paso, Texas, on Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Man’s death during El Paso County arrest under investigation