Essex County Jail Inmate’s Death Considered ‘Suspicious’

Essex County authorities say the death of a county jail inmate inside his cell is considered suspicious.

Twenty-seven-year-old Desmond Sanders of Newark was found unresponsive around 5:30 a.m. Sunday. He was pronounced dead in his cell about an hour later.

Sanders shared the cell with another inmate, and authorities believe his death may be related to an overnight fight between the two men. But a cause of death for Sanders has not yet been determined.

Authorities said Sanders and his cellmate had been jailed since June, when they were arrested in connection with a shooting in Newark.

(Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved)