The above-named died on 1 October 1990, reportedly as a result of injuries sustained during detention. He had been arrested on 29 March 1990 and confessed to possession of drugs. However, he insisted later that the confession had been extracted by torture. Despite his allegations and the lack of corroborating evidence, the charges were confirmed and he was sent to La Mesa State Penitentiary. According to witnesses, his condition was poor and he never received adequate medical care. Ruben Oropeza joined in a hunger-strike against unfair arrests at the end of June, and was admitted to hospital on 14 July. He underwent major surgery the same day. A month later he was transferred to another hospital where he remained in a critical condition, under police custody
