Inmate dies after being found unresponsive at Rapides Parish jail

ALEXANDRIA, La. (WNTZ) – A female inmate at the Rapides Parish Detention Center-1 died Friday afternoon after being found unresponsive in her cell, according to the Rapides Parish Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies discovered 42-year-old Anquinetta Johnson Owens around 3:20 p.m. not breathing, the sheriff’s office said. Deputies and medical staff began lifesaving measures, including CPR and use of an automated external defibrillator.

Pafford EMS-Cenla continued resuscitation efforts and were able to restore Owens’ pulse. She was taken to a local hospital, where she was later pronounced dead.

Corrections security investigators and the sheriff’s crime scene unit responded to the jail. At this stage, investigators said they have found no evidence of foul play. An autopsy and toxicology tests will be conducted to determine the cause of death.

Owens had been booked into the detention center on Sept. 16 on a charge of simple burglary.

The investigation is ongoing, according to the sheriff’s office.