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 punched and kicked the cellmate and slammed his head on the toilet, the Clayton County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement Monday.
The sheriff's office did not identify the victim.
But the Clayton County Medical Examiner's Office identified him as Carlos Alfredo Zegarra-Arryo, of Athens, Georgia. The cause and manner of his death have 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.
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 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In October, Jackson’s probation was revoked, the sheriff’s office said, and he was sentenced to serve a year in prison.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, it said.
The sheriff’s office said the Georgia Bureau of Investigation had been contacted about the alleged inmate slaying.
Charges were filed against Zegarra-Arryo in 2021, including 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 whether the cases were connected. Last year's case was ongoing, court records show.
Zegarra-Arryo's relatives could not immediately be reached for comment Tuesday.