Woman dies one day after being booked into Metropolitan Detention Center

Nov. 19—A woman died less than 24 hours after being booked into the Metropolitan Detention Center on Monday.

MDC spokeswoman Candace Hopkins said 30-year-old Deana Harry was pronounced dead around 9 p.m. after being "discovered in distress" in her cell.

"The New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator will investigate the cause of death," Hopkins said.

Both the Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office and MDC's Office of Professional Standards are investigating the circumstances that led to Harry's death.

Harry is the 31st person to die at the facility or die after being injured or falling ill at the jail since 2020. The majority of those who have died were detoxing at the time.

Last week, according to Albuquerque police, a man died from "a medical episode" in the intake area of West Side jail after officers brought him there to be booked.

Court records show Harry was arrested Sunday night by Albuquerque police after she allegedly drove away from the scene of a minor crash while having a revoked license. She had been charged with driving with a revoked license, a petty misdemeanor, and leaving the scene of an accident, a misdemeanor.

Hopkins said Harry was booked at 3 a.m. on Monday.

Harry was found "in distress" around 8 p.m., and first responders with the jail's healthcare provider, University of New Mexico Health Systems, "initiated life-saving measures."

"Those efforts continued until Harry was pronounced deceased at approximately 9:10 p.m. by UNM Hospital staff," Hopkins said. "A rigorous review of the incident is now underway at MDC. Support services will be provided for inmates and staff impacted by this incident."