July 8, 2025 – A 32-year-old man died Tuesday morning after engaging in a physical altercation with detention officers who were attempting to escort him out of the Harris County Jail.
Alexis Jovany Cardenas was released from custody at 12:50 a.m. and was being escorted to an exit door when he physically resisted detention officers as they attempted to walk him outside the building. One detention officer deployed his Taser in an effort to gain control of Cardenas, but it was not immediately effective. At one point, Cardenas briefly forced his way back into the secure area of the jail where inmates were being processed for release.
Multiple detention officers eventually gained control over Cardenas. Once control was established, they noticed that Cardenas was unresponsive. A detention officer then administered CPR while jail medical staff responded to the area to administer aid. Cardenas was then taken to St. Joseph Hospital, where he was pronounced deceased at 1:57 a.m.
The Texas Rangers are conducting an investigation into the incident. The Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences is conducting an autopsy to determine Cardenas’ cause of death. An administrative investigation to determine whether all relevant policies were followed is being conducted by Sheriff’s Office Internal Affairs. Video footage will be publicly released within no more than 45 days in accordance with Sheriff’s Office policy.
Cardenas had been in jail since Sunday, July 6, when the Houston Police Department arrested him on municipal charges.
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