HOUSTON – A 55-year-old man in custody at the Harris County Jail died at St. Joseph Hospital Wednesday after experiencing a medical emergency.
The Harris County Sheriff’s Office says Lenton Gallow Jr. had been housed at the jail since his arrest on January 5 on charges of criminal trespassing and theft.
The sheriff’s office said Gallow indicated he was experiencing homelessness at the time of his arrest.
“Gallow’s death has been reported to the Texas Commission on Jail Standards. The Texas Rangers are investigating the death in accordance with a state law that requires all jail deaths to be investigated by an outside law enforcement agency. The Sheriff’s Office Internal Affairs Division is also investigating to determine whether all applicable policies and procedures were followed, which is standard following the death of a person in jail. Gallow’s cause of death will be determined by an autopsy conducted by the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences‚” the sheriff’s office said.
This is the first inmate death at the Harris County Jail in 2026.
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Christian Terry covered digital news in Tyler and Wichita Falls before returning to the Houston area where he grew up. He is passionate about weather and the outdoors and often spends his days off on the water fishing.