OKEECHOBEE — An investigator with the Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO) is seeking the public’s help in finding the family of a man who died after trying to hang himself in the county jail.

Jocinto Perez, 48, died at Lawnwood Regional Medical Center in Fort Pierce after he had apparently tried to commit suicide Dec. 28, 2015. OCSO reports indicate the man tried to hang himself with a bedsheet attached to his bunk bed.



The man died Wednesday, Dec. 30, at the hospital in Fort Pierce.
Perez was arrested Dec. 26, 2015, on a misdemeanor charge of disorderly intoxication. His bond had been set at $250.

After he was found around 5 a.m. by Detention Deputy Iris Marrero, Perez was taken to Raulerson Hospital. From there, he was transported to Lawnwood.

The report indicated Perez had lost his job as a laborer and had been homeless for about a month.

Attempts to find the man’s family have been unsuccessful.

If you have any information regarding Perez or his family, contact OCSO Detective Cari Arnold at 863-763-3117, ext. 5111.