Long Beach Drug Suspect Dies in Custody

A man arrested in Long Beach on suspicion of possessing methamphetamine died April 15 after being taken to a hospital, police said today.

Rolando Sanchez and woman were arrested April 10 near 25th Street and Baltic Avenue on suspicion of possessing methamphetamine, police said.

Sanchez, 43, was booked and set to be arraigned April 14, police said.

Early on April 13, a jailer reported that Sanchez was acting strangely, and he was taken to a hospital, where his condition worsened, police said.

Sanchez died April 15 about 10 p.m., police said.

So far, the cause of death is unknown. The investigation is being handled by Long Beach police homicide detectives and coroner's investigators.

Anyone with more information about Sanchez was asked to call detectives Hugo Cortes or Peter Lackovic at (562) 570-7244.

--City News Service