A preliminary autopsy indicates a 28-year-old McAllen man who died following a brief chase with Weslaco police earlier this month succumbed to a cocaine overdose, according to a report filed with the state.
The Weslaco Police Department filed a custodial death report Wednesday with the Texas Attorney General’s Office for the death of Louie De Los Santos.
He died June 14 after calling 9-1-1 at approximately 3:05 a.m. in the 2300 block of N. International Boulevard to ask for help.
“First responding officer located a male subject at the 2300 N. International who was sweating profusely and was showing signs of intoxication, possible excited delirium,” the report said.
After making contact with the man, police determined he called 9-1-1 on himself.
“The officers allowed the male to contact someone to pick him up but he became uncooperative when asked if someone would be picking him up,” the report said.
Weslaco police said in the report that De Los Santos then began walking away toward the street and away from officers, so police decided to detain him.
“As they attempted to take him into custody he ran away,” the report stated. “The officers pursued and as he was running fell into a runoff ditch in the area.”
Authorities noted in the report that he had a laceration on his forehead from the fall.
Police caught up with him and tried to put him in handcuffs, but he continued to resist, according to the report.
Officers then were able to restrain De Los Santos, applied first aid and called EMS, which took him to the hospital where he was pronounced dead at 4:35 a.m., according to the report.
“Video from nearby business (sic) were recovered and show the male falling on his own into the ditch surrounding the business prior to the struggle with officers,” the report stated.
The final autopsy results are still pending, the report indicated.
