JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A 37-year-old woman who was in custody for child neglect died Tuesday in the Duval County Jail.
The woman, Patricia Affrunti, 37, was found unresponsive in an isolation cell on the first floor at the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office pre-trial detention center.
Officers said a correctional officer found Affrunti unresponsive just before 1 p.m. on Tuesday while conducting a wellness check. Officers and medical personnel performed life-saving procedures and took her to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead at 1:32 p.m.
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The woman was placed in the isolation area that is reserved for people they believe may harm themselves. Officers conduct the wellness checks every 15 minutes, according to JSO.
Affrunti was arrested Monday on the charge of child neglect after officials responded to the La Casa Prima Apartments. The woman was found unconscious in the vehicle with the doors locked and child in the backseat, JSO said.
Officials said they made forced entry and noticed the heater was all the way up. The child was red in the face and had a temperature of 104, officials said. The child was take to the hospital and was in normal condition.
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Affrunti told officials she dropped off a friend after coming from a “methadone clinic” and fell asleep, because she was tired. She didn’t know why the heat was turned up, she told police.
The Department of Children and Families was notified.
An autopsy will be performed to determine the cause of death.