MARLIN, Texas — Early Wednesday morning - the Texas Department of Criminal Justice confirmed the death of Amor Zuniga, an inmate at the William P. Hobby Unit in Marlin.
Details of the death have yet to be released - but officials told 25 News life-saving measures were initiated after Zuniga was found unresponsive.
The Texas Department of Criminal Justice told 25 News that the death is under investigation, and at this time, there are no signs of foul play or suicide.
But loved ones and family members of other inmates at the facility claim it was due to an overdose...which they say took guards more than an hour to respond to.
"It makes you wonder if aid would have been rendered, 'would she still be alive'? As a parent and a mother, my heart just broke because I was like, 'Could that be my child one day," said Timms.
Crystal Timms said her daughter has been at the Hobby Unit for about seven months.
She said it's the stories of verbal abuse, neglect, and mistreatment that leave her worried about her daughter's safety.
"They would only give them four bottles of water, and that was to shower, drink, brush their teeth, wash their face, anything that has to do with hygiene and to stay hydrated," said Timms.
Timms said her daughter had told her of drugs and other illegal substances being passed around at the prison.
It has her questioning the standards and procedures that are currently in place.
"The girls going in there that are already drug addicts are doomed anyway because they can get the same thing there that they can get on the streets. So where is the rehabilitation," said Timms.
Although the inmate's loss is devastating, Crystal hopes this situation can help bring the girls together.
"I just pray, and I hope that these women stick together in this situation and that they say 'it's time for us to stand up…if not for what's happening to us but for what happened to her'," said Timms.
