Associated Press
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — A former New Mexico inmate is suing the Department of Corrections and two state corrections officers, saying they left him and several other prisoners to suffer unattended in a transport van with inadequate ventilation on a hot summer day.
The lawsuit filed in state court by Isaha Casias describes a scene of panic among inmates inside an enclosed, crowded vehicle parked outside the state penitentiary in Santa Fe two years ago. According to the lawsuit, some inmates passed out, including Casias, who says he also suffered a seizure.
Court records show Casias was convicted in 2013 of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and being a felon in possession of a firearm or destructive device. He was released last year.
The Department of Corrections did not immediately provide comment Monday.