An inmate at a county jail in Georgia killed his cellmate with his bare hands Sunday “simply because of the color of his skin,” authorities said.
Jaquez Jackson beat his cellmate in an attack that included punching, kicking and slamming the cellmate’s head on the toilet, according to a statement Monday from the Clayton County Sheriff’s Office.
The victim was not identified by the sheriff’s office.
But the Clayton County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the cellmate as Carlos Alfredo Zegarra-Arryo, of Athens, Georgia. The cause and manner of his death has not been officially determined, a representative with the office said Tuesday.
Jackson told investigators “he does not like Mexican/Hispanics and wanted to kill them,” the sheriff’s office said.
Jackson is charged with murder, malice murder, aggravated assault and starting a penal riot, the statement said.
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Jackson was initially in the jail on a probation violation on charges that included simple battery, simple assault, terroristic threats and obstruction of an officer, the sheriff’s office said.
In April 2022, he was sentenced to five years, in a sentence that included 12 months in jail and four years’ probation, the statement said.
In October, Jackson’s probation was revoked, the sheriff’s office said, and he was sentenced to serve a year in prison. He was awaiting acceptance from the Georgia Department of Corrections, the sheriff’s office said.
The sheriff’s office said the Georgia Bureau of Investigation was contacted about the alleged inmate slaying.
Charges were filed against Zegarra-Arryo in 2021 that included theft by taking and unlawful removal of baggage or cargo from a terminal, according to Clayton County court records. Two counts of unlawful removal of baggage or cargo from a terminal were filed against him in 2022. It’s unclear if the cases were connected. Last year’s case was ongoing, court records show.
Zegarra-Arryo’s relatives could not be immediately reached for comment Tuesday.
