Manaus prison inmate who held infant hostage dies in cell

Israel Shalom Castro Ramos, 29, was found dead in a cell at the Centro de Detenção Provisória Masculino 1 (CDPM I) in Manaus on Friday. The cause of death has not yet been released.

Ramos had been incarcerated since October 14 following an incident in the Cidade Nova neighborhood. During that event, he reportedly took a woman and her 1-year-old child against their will in a ride-sharing vehicle. The driver, unaware of the kidnapping, alerted authorities after noticing Ramos was armed with a knife. While the woman escaped safely with the driver's help, Ramos fled into a residence with the infant, leading to a three-hour police standoff. He eventually surrendered, and the child was rescued unharmed.

The Amazonas State Secretariat of Penitentiary Administration (SEAP-AM) confirmed the death and announced that an administrative procedure will be opened to investigate the circumstances of the incident.