UPDATE: Carlos Salazar, an undocumented diabetic man who reportedly lost vision in his right eye after being placed in the Whitfield County Jail, is now in ICE custody, his family says.
His bond had been reduced to $1 prior to his release, in view for the potential of "ongoing medical costs," Whitfield County Captain Wes Lynch confirmed last week.
His family says Salazar's blood sugar levels fluctuated dramatically while he was in custody, and he was not given a glucose monitor. The jail tells us that he had been treated by their medical staff several times, and even taken to a local specialist.
"We are heartbroken, angry, and tired," family member Yvette Hurtado stated in a Facebook post. "Tired of the systems that continue to abuse, neglect, and dehumanize our loved ones — especially those who are simply trying to survive."
Local 3 has reached out to the Whitfield County Jail and the Stewart Detention Center to confirm more details about Salazar's case.
This is a developing story. Stay with Local 3 News.
The family of an undocumented, diabetic Dalton man who is facing charges and an ICE hold at the Whitfield County Jail says they are concerned for his health after he lost sight in his right eye while in custody.
The Whitfield County Sheriff's Office (WCSO) stopped Carlos Salazar-Hernandez, 46, on June 22 after pulling in front of another vehicle and "almost causing a crash."
The deputy could not verify his identity in the state of Georgia or Illinois (where Salazar said he was licensed), but was told that a family member would bring his wallet.
"Numerous deputies attempted to locate Carlos in all available databases to attempt to confirm his identity," said the sheriff's office.
Family members did not locate his wallet, the sheriff's office says, but Salazar did provide a recent pay stub with his current address.
During the process, Salazar became sick and vomited, saying he was diabetic and needed food. When given food, he said he may need to go to the hospital.
The arrest record states:
"Lt. Rann verified Cruise [Salazar's partner] had a valid driver's license and released Carlos and the vehicle to Cruise. Lt. Rann will continue to attempt to identify Carlos and if he was found to have been untruthful about his identity, Lt. Rann will seek a warrant for his arrest."
The family tells Local 3 News that while they thought the whole ordeal was over, a week after the stop, Salazar was arrested at their doorstep during an unexpected visit from the sheriff's office.
According to his arrest report, a deputy arrived with a warrant on June 30. Salazar was booked on the following charges:
- Driving on a suspended license
- Giving false name to law enforcement officers
- Failure to yield
Every arrestee in the state of Georgia is reported to ICE, the sheriff's office says. Since Whitfield County cooperates with ICE's immigration enforcement program, Salazar can be held up to 48 hours after his scheduled release to be taken into ICE custody.
While waiting for his case to proceed, though, his family says Salazar's health is declining. He has Type 1 diabetes, and when his blood sugar isn't closely regulated, symptoms flare up.
"He is no longer using his glucose monitor or receiving his previous standard of care, and his blood sugars are frequently out of control," says family member Yvette Hurtado. "As of now, he has lost vision in his right eye under their care."
WCSO Captain Wesley Lynch stated on behalf of the jail that while he cannot comment on exact medical treatment due to HIPAA laws, Salazar saw medical personnel four times in the span of 15 days and was recently transported to a local eye doctor.
"I would highly doubt that vision problems caused by long-term diabetes would only occur over a two-week period and only upon being incarcerated," Capt. Lynch said.
The CDC's website says that high blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels can cause conditions like Diabetic retinopathy (DR), which stems from damaged blood vessels in the retina. These vessels can swell, leak, and cause blurry vision.
Salazar's family says he's requested medical help "far more" than the jail says.
"It’s sickening to watch someone’s health spiral because of a system that doesn’t care—and then see that same system minimize and deny what they’re putting him through," Hurtado said in a recent Facebook post.
The jail says that Salazar has been referred to a specialist, and the hold up isn't on their end.
"I recently found myself in a similar situation and had to wait two months to get an appointment with a specialist locally," Whitfield County's Capt. Lynch said. "This delay isn’t an example of our staff being unkind, it is simply a commentary on the status of our medical system."
Salazar's bond was lowered to $1 by a judge, Capt. Lynch said. As it stands, he will likely be released to ICE "upon making bond or [through] the disposition of his case."
The family is currently raising money to help them afford legal fees and resources to help Salazar's immigration case.
