CLEVELAND — The Cuyahoga County Jail was warned about the inmate accused of attacking a nurse inside the jail's mental health unit last month, according to court records.
The attack was captured on video. It shows the 53-year-old nurse walking through the jail with two corrections officers. An inmate then walks out of his cell and grabs the nurse from behind, placing her in a stranglehold.
According to a police report, the inmate is 45-year-old Carlos Gonzalez-Manjarrez. He's awaiting trial on charges alleging that he killed his wife in Euclid and then called 911 to report the crime.
Court records show Manjarrez had undergone many psychiatric examinations since his arrest and was found incompetent to stand trial.
In August, a court filing shows a court official contacted the jail to alert them that a psychologist found Manjarrez was a "risk to his own safety and should be watched accordingly." It goes on to quote from a psychologist who stated, in part, "It is my opinion that he (defendant) is a high risk of suicide and that he needs to be placed in a hospital which can limit his access to potential weapons."
But court records show an unnamed "representative from the mental health pod of the county jail" seemed to take issue with the finding.
"The above opinion by defendant's psychologist is not consistent with the defendant's conduct....no indications have been presented thus far to support defendant's psychologist's opinion," according to an entry from the August hearing. It also said that jail staff would be made aware of the report and "conduct themselves in accordance with procedure."
It wasn't clear from the records who at the jail took issue with the findings. A court spokesman was looking into the question.
The nurse told police Manjarrez attacked her after she refused to prescribe him sleeping pills.
