The family of a Lee County inmate who was severely beaten while in custody is demanding an investigation and considering a lawsuit against the sheriff’s office, alleging negligence and a failure to protect the victim.
Brandt Diaz, an inmate at the Lee County Jail, remains hospitalized at Gulf Coast Medical Center with injuries that his attorney describes as life-altering. Photos obtained by this publication show Diaz with both eyes swollen shut, a surgically reconstructed nose and missing teeth. According to his family, he is currently unable to speak or eat and is recovering from a brutal assault.
“This was a brutal, horrific attack that almost took a man’s life,” said attorney Rene Suarez, who is representing the Diaz family. “It was loud and vicious. It took place over a prolonged period of time.”
The alleged attack occurred after jail officials placed Diaz in a cell with Yanko Romero, a 6-foot-4, 250-pound inmate who had recently been arrested for a random and deadly stabbing in Fort Myers. Romero is being held in connection with the murder of a 25-year-old man. According to Suarez, Romero has a documented history of mental illness and violent behavior.
“The jail took a known murderer, a suspected serial killer — somebody with homicidal tendencies and mental health issues — and put him in the same cell as a regular, non-violent offender,” Suarez said.
Diaz’s mother, Estella Diaz, said her son was asleep when he was attacked.
“When he saw me, he just started crying,” she said. “He put his head on my chest and I told him it was going to be OK.”
Hospital staff told the family that Diaz would require multiple facial surgeries.
In response to the incident, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office stated that it complied with housing standards and was justified in placing the two men together. Suarez strongly disagrees.
“I think that is hogwash,” he said. “At some point, common sense has to prevail here.”
Sheriff Carmine Marceno has not publicly addressed the incident. Suarez called on him to take responsibility.
“Sheriff Marceno has said before that the buck stops with him,” Suarez said. “He’s the sheriff of Lee County, so yes, ultimately, he’s a responsible party.”
The family is vowing to seek justice and accountability.
“We as a family will stick together and fight this,” Estella Diaz said.
When asked whether there is any surveillance footage of the beating, sources told this publication that video exists. The sheriff’s office has acknowledged that the jail is equipped with video surveillance. However, the footage has not yet been released.
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