♫ sad piano music ♫
Jessica: My name is Jessica Moreno,
and I'm Marc-Anthony's older sister.
Marc was 18 when he died.
The people that were closest to him would tell you how
sweet of a kid he was, how kind he was.
I just liked to see him smile,
I just loved to see him, loved.
The sickness, illness in our family
brought us closer together,
but now, it just took us apart
because, now we’re missing our main player.
All the people that were there,
could’ve helped, but none of them did.
None of them did.
Narrator: Marc Mareno’s death was tragic
and preventable.
What follows, are just some of the facts.
♫ suspenseful electronic music ♫
Roughly one month before his death,
Marc tried to resume mental health treatment
at Kadlec Regional Medical Center.
one of the many places where he had
received services earlier in his childhood.
After meeting Marc and recognizing
the gaps in his treatment, the doctor noted:
Offscreen Voice: Evidently, Marc fell through the cracks.
Narrator: 10 days before Marc’s death,
after exhibiting severe psychotic symptoms,
Marc’s family brought him to Lourdes Medical Center
for mental health treatment.
It was here that Marc was discharged less
than two days later having not shown any signs
of improvement.
Offscreen Voice: Patient has long term diagnosis of
schizophrenia, psychosis, and mood disorder
Narrator: From Lourdes Medical Center,
Marc’s family took him to Lourdes Counseling Center
where he was turned away without treatment
and told to go to Crisis Response because:
Voice Offscreen: All of our counselors
were gone for the day.
Narrator: Marc’s family brought him to Crisis Response
in their third attempt to treat
Marc’s mental health crisis.
Voice Offscreen: Dad reported client
needed help for mental health.
Client was agitated, disoriented
and not aware of surroundings.
He reported, “Angels are talking to me”.
Narrator: Instead of treating him, they called the police.
Marc was arrested for two low level
outstanding warrants.
One for driving with a suspended license
and another for failure to transfer title within 45 days.
Jessica: There was no reason
for Marc to be in jail while he was sick.
There was no reason.
He needed help first.
Narrator: Upon arriving at the jail, Marc was immediately
put into a restraint chair.
Despite an extensive history of mental illness,
Marc Moreno received no mental health treatment
while in jail.
Over the course of six hundred documented check-ins,
jail staff watched on as Marc decompensated;
his symptoms growing increasingly severe
and apparent.
Offscreen Voice: Inmate presents as naked,
rolling around on the floor.
playing with feces, rolling back and forth.
demonstrating illogical behaviors,
internally preoccupied
no recognition of attempts to engage.
Narrator: The day before Marc’s death,
the jail’s mental health provider notes:
Offscreen Voice: In discussion with jail staff, this inmate
has not ingested food or fluids up to this point.
Narrator: On March 11th 2016, Marc Moreno
died in his jail cell
from cardiac arrhythmia and dehydration.
Jessica: I feel like many places failed him.
The hospital failed him.
Crisis response failed him.
The jail failed him.
Narrator: Why did Marc Moreno die?
♫ sad piano music ♫