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Indian River County jail inmate dies at hospital

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An inmate at the Indian River County Jail died Wednesday around 11 a.m. Wednesday after being found unresponsive and taken to a hospital, the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office said.

A cellmate of the 42-year-old told corrections staff he heard the man making “gurgling noises” and found him unresponsive, a spokesperson for the sheriff’s office said in a news release. The inmate was in the medical wing. 

Deputies immediately began performing CPR and Indian River County Emergency Services took the inmate to Indian River Medical Center.

He was pronounced dead at the hospital at 10:55 a.m. The sheriff’s office said there are no signs of trauma and the death is believed to be related to ongoing medical issues associated with the man.

Thursday the sheriff's office identified the man as Zacharriah Zimmer, 42. 

No signs of trauma or foul play were observed during an autopsy, according to the sheriff's office. It said the autopsy confirmed that Zimmer's death was related to his extensive medical history.

A toxicology screening has not yet been completed.

Vero Beach police arrested Zimmer on April 3rd for battery domestic violence and took him to the Indian River County Jail, the sheriff's office said. He faced a first appearance hearing on Wednesday a few hours before passing away.