A man who identified himself as a transient in Spring Hill died in a holding cell at the Hernando County Detention Center after he was accused of stealing a rosary from a vehicle in Weeki Wachee and arrested.
Hernando County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) Public Information Manager Denise Moloney said that just after 3 a.m. on Aug. 10, deputies responded to a 9-1-1 call reporting that an unknown man was banging on the front door of a home on Blackbird Avenue in Weeki Wachee, screaming “needing something to drink.”
“When the (9-1-1) caller refused to open the door, the caller heard the male talking about ‘trying to get in the house,’” Moloney said.
At the scene, deputies found 44-year-old Raymond Troy sitting in a vehicle that was parked outside the residence. When they searched him, deputies found a silver rosary in Troy’s pocket. The property owner, who also owned the vehicle, identified the rosary.
While interviewing him, Troy told deputies that he was “thirsty and just looking for water” when he pounded on the homeowner’s door. He did not say why he had gotten into the vehicle or taken the rosary.
After speaking with him for a short time, deputies noticed that Troy was showing signs of an altered mental status, possibly resulting from drug use, and requested that the Hernando County Fire and Rescue (HCFR) crew respond to the scene in order to evaluate him.
Troy was evaluated by a paramedic but refused treatment.
He was subsequently arrested and booked into the Hernando County Detention Center on a burglary of a conveyance charge.
Deputies learned that Troy had been released from the Pasco County Detention Center on a surety bond for resisting arrest and theft. As a result, he was held without bond pending his first court appearance.
Shortly after his booking, Troy was placed in a Hernando County Detention Center holding cell, where Detention Center personnel saw him lying on the floor of his cell, drinking water.
Shortly thereafter, they saw Troy experiencing an unknown medical emergency.
Staff members immediately began administering Narcan, and CPR applied an automated external defibrillator (AED) device and called for an HCFR crew.
After arriving on the scene, the HCFR crew took over Troy’s treatment.
He was taken by ambulance to Bravera Health, where an emergency room physician pronounced him dead.
Major Case Detectives, Forensics Technicians, and Professional Standards Staff all arrived at the scene to collect physical evidence and conduct investigations.
Their preliminary investigation revealed that Troy had experienced a medical emergency, possibly related to narcotic use.
“An autopsy will be conducted to confirm his cause of death,” Moloney said.
The investigation into the case continues, she said.
