Two recent inmate deaths at Tampa Bay prisons are under investigation, police said

Two recent deaths of inmates at Tampa Bay prisons are under investigation, but police say both are related to medical issues.

The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office said a man died Tuesday while in custody at the Falkenburg Road Jail.

According to a news release, officers conducting a welfare check on Levitacus Cymande Riggins, 50, found him unresponsive in his cell. Officers and medical personnel attempted life-saving measures, but Riggins died.

The press release said Riggins had “a known medical history” and investigators believe his death was “medically related.”

The sheriff’s office was waiting for the medical examiner to determine the official cause of death.

Records show Tampa police arrested Riggins on March 2 on drug trafficking and drug possession charges. His last listed address was in Brandon.

The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office also reported an inmate death last week.

Around 8:10 a.m. Thursday, 56-year-old Douglas Lewis was found unresponsive in his home, the sheriff’s office said in a news release Friday. Detention and medical staff performed life-saving measures and Lewis was transported to a local hospital.

He was pronounced dead around 5:15 a.m. Friday, the release said.

“Investigators say Lewis had a pre-existing medical condition and was in the process of discussing hospice options with medical staff,” the release said. “At this point in the investigation, investigators have found no evidence that Lewis was involved in any physical altercations or sustained any injuries while incarcerated at the prison.”

Lewis, who was homeless, was booked into the Pinellas County Jail on April 19 on charges of providing a false name to law enforcement and failing to appear on a petit theft charge.

The medical examiner’s office will determine the cause of death.

Times staff writer Emily Wunderlich contributed to this report.