By Tonia Rose
May 6, 2009
May 07, 2009 10:48 am
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One local magistrate wants to know why jail officials didnÕt call 911 when Rigoberto Jacome was allegedly discovered April 20 beaten by another cellmate.
During a special called fiscal court meeting April 24, Magistrate Millard Cordell asked Jailer Randy Binion about JacomeÕs condition as he was taken from the jail.
ÒHe was disoriented and wasnÕt making any sense,Ó Binion told the court.
Cordell said he couldnÕt understand why jail officials didnÕt see the urgent need to have Jacome transported to the hospital by emergency professionals.
ÒThis guy was apparently disoriented and apparently injured so why wasnÕt he taken out of the jail by an ambulance or by helicopter?Ó Cordell continues to question. ÒBoth the ambulance service and the helicopter pad are located right there by the jail. I just donÕt understand the decision the jail officials made. None of it makes sense.Ó
Binion said Jacome was on his feet when he was taken from the jail.
ÒHe walked out of the jail on his own and got into a vehicle driven by a deputy,Ó Binion told fiscal court. ÒHe didnÕt even want to go to the hospital but was convinced to.Ó
Jacome underwent brain surgery at KingÕs DaughtersÕ Medical Center and then was placed into the intensive care unit. He died April 26 at about 6:30 p.m.
A call was made to the Boyd County CoronerÕs office Tuesday concerning the autopsy scheduled in Frankfort April 28. The phone attendant said, ÒThe autopsy is not finished at this time, but we are not allowed to say anything about it.Ó
Binion contacted Kentucky State Police to investigate the jail altercation.
A funeral took place Saturday for Jacome at the Saints John and Elizabeth Catholic Church in Grayson. Father Lawrence Goulding, sacrament minister at the church, is helping with the arrangements to have Jacome sent back to Mexico.
ÒHis father Luis could not make it to the U.S. due to the swine flu scare,Ó Goulding commented Tuesday. ÒWe did have a very nice service for Rigoberto Saturday at the church with a lot of people showing up. He has an uncle and aunt who live in Mt. Sterling. They both showed up for the funeral.Ó
Goulding said more than $1,500 had been collected within the community to help with the funeral and other expenses.
The body is presently being kept at the Kentucky Mortuary in Lexington and will remain there until adequate funds are met to pay for transport to Mexico, Goulding said.
ÒWe have done really well in receiving donations from people in the community, but we lack more than $500 to pay off the mortuary and to have RigobertoÕs body sent back to his home,Ó he said. ÒI will make sure any remaining money is sent to his father to help with the funeral in Mexico.Ó
Goulding said he hopes the Mexican Bureaucracy also would help with some of the expenses.
Anyone wishing to make a donation can contact Father Goulding at 474.0635.
Jail officials still havenÕt released the name or names of the inmate allegedly responsible for killing Jacome.
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