Inmate Commits Suicide by Water Bottle in Back of Jail Van

A jail transport van was driving inmate Drew Gabrish, 50, from Key West to Martin County. When guards stopped at the Miami-Dade jail earlier this week to pick up another inmate they found Gabrish dead in the back of the van. He had committed suicide by choking himself on a...

By Kyle Munzenrieder

October 21, 2011

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A jail transport van was driving inmate Drew Gabrish, 50, from Key West to Martin County. When guards stopped at the Miami-Dade jail earlier this week to pick up another inmate they found Gabrish dead in the back of the van. He had committed suicide by choking himself on a water bottle.

Gabrish's ex-wife tells The Miami Herald that he had problems with alcoholism. He had racked up an outstanding warrant in Martin County for driving while intoxicated. He was arrested in Key West on October 11 after a hotel owner called police after Gabrish refused to check out.

Gabrish was being transported back to Martin County when the van stopped at Miami-Dade jail. Guards originally though he was sleeping on the ground in the back of the van but soon realized he was unresponsive.

His death was ruled a suicide by mechanical asphyxiation after he purposefully choked on pieces of the water bottle. Bottles are routinely kept in the back of jail transport vans during long trips for thirsty inmates.

[Herald: Inmate dies in Miami-Dade in bizarre suicide]

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