ALLENTOWN, Pa. — An Allentown man in Lehigh County Jail since Sunday died two days later by suicide, according to authorities.
Arturo Wright, 32, was pronounced dead at 2:50 p.m. Tuesday at St. Luke’s Hospital in Allentown. Lehigh County Coroner Daniel Buglio ruling Wright’s death a suicide.
Jail staff found Wright unresponsive in his cell at 2:12 p.m. Tuesday and administered CPR before Wright was taken to the hospital by ambulance, Lehigh County Corrections Director Janine Donate said Wednesday in a news release.
Wright was arrested Friday and Saturday by Allentown police, according to court documents.
He faced a felony strangulation charge, as well as misdemeanor counts of simple assault, harassment and making terroristic threats, court records show.
Details of the case
Allentown police were called about 2:30 p.m. Saturday to an apartment in the 700 block of Turner Street, where threats were reported, according to charging documents filed against Wright.
A person in the apartment told police they were checking on their mother after learning Wright was “mistreating her,” the criminal complaint states.
Wright demanded money from a friend and threatened "he would tie all the doors to the building and burn it down” if he didn't get it.Criminal complaint against Arturo Wright
Wright had punched the woman in her head, grabbed her and slammed her head into a wall, police said.
Wright also “pulled hair off her skull,” according to charging documents.
Police allege Wright assaulted the woman over $300 worth of drugs.
Wright demanded that money from the woman and threatened "he would tie all the doors to the building and burn it down” if he didn't get it, according to court records.
Wright and the woman were friends and not in a romantic relationship, court documents state.
Wright had two cases pending against him when he died Tuesday. A Lehigh County judge set bail at $50,000 in the first case and $20,000 in the second case.
He did not post bail before his death.
Check back for updates to this developing story.
