Video casino owner Jose Luis Bazan, who surrendered on three gambling charges, suddenly dies hours after leaving jail
Casino owner dies hours after leaving jail
Video casino owner Jose Luis Bazan, who has surrendered on three gambling charges, suddenly died hours after leaving jail. Now his family members blame police for his sudden death.
The family’s attorney Ernesto Gamez said Bazan, 53, began to have severe respiratory problems shortly after his release the same morning. According to Brownsvilleherald.com, Bazan died from an apparent heart attack while he was receiving treatment for the respiratory problems at a Matamoros hospital.
“His wife is extremely depressed and blames police for the way they handled her husband’s arrest and the seizure of his property,” Gamez said. “He was quite an elderly man, who had never been in trouble before.”
The day before Bazan’s death, police seized 92 video casino machines from Palace Arcade, 2921 Boca Chica Blvd. A probable cause affidavit said the arcade was making illegal payouts and identified Bazan as the owner, who had to face three charges - Class A misdemeanors punishable up to one year in jail and/or a $4,000 fine.
Nevertheless, Brownsville City Jail log said Bazan only spent 27 minutes in custody Tuesday morning from 10:53 a.m. to 11:20 a.m. According to the police spokesperson, Bazan did not even set foot inside a jail cell. “We gave him the red carpet treatment. We allowed him to turn himself in the company of his lawyer. He was processed and arraigned quickly,” he said.
