Mexican detainee dies while in ICE custody at Victorville medical center

VICTORVILLE, Calif. (KABC) -- A Mexican national died of internal bleeding while in the custody of ICE at the Victor Valley Global Medical Center in Victorville Thursday.

Sergio Alonso Lopez, 55, had been transferred from a hospital at the Adelanto Detention Facility on April 1 after throwing up blood, according to ICE. Department officials said he had a history of medical issues that included cirrhosis, hypertension, alcohol abuse and opiod dependence with withdrawal symptoms.

ICE said the preliminary cause of death for Lopez was determined to be internal bleeding.

The agency notified state health and local law enforcement agencies of Lopez's death as well as the Department of Homeland Security's Office of the Inspector General and the ICE Office of Professional Responsibility. ICE notified Mexican consular representatives who will contact Lopez's next of kin.

The department said Lopez had been in custody since Feb. 7 after he was arrested in Los Angeles by an ICE operations team. His deportation case had been pending in court at the time of his death.

Department of Homeland Security databases showed Lopez had a lengthy criminal background that dated back to 1981. He was convicted of assault with a deadly weapon, felony burglary and felony drug possession.

Lopez had been deported to Mexico three times since 1994, with his most recent deportation in 2001, according to DHS.

He is the sixth detainee to die in ICE custody in 2017, according to the agency.