The death of an inmate at the LaPorte County Jail is prompting an investigation.
The female inmate was found unresponsive by authorities around 1:30 a.m. on Sunday. CPR was applied, but was unable to resuscitate the victim. Her name has now been released by the LaPorte County Sheriff’s Department. 33-year-old Rachel Barnes was described as the victim.
According to a press release, the inmate was discovered after a jail monitor noticed she had not moved for a period. The woman was in a holding cell since being booked on Friday, April 17th.
She was pronounced dead by the LaPorte County Coroner’s office. An autopsy has been scheduled to investigate the nature of the death on Monday.
LaPorte County Sheriff John Boyd was in contact with the family Sunday morning.
Barnes was arrested on Friday after she had allegedly driven her vehicle into a pond near the Porter/LaPorte county line. A nearby resident located Barnes sitting on the ground near the pond where her vehicle was partially submerged.
