A Montco man died in Philly police custody, less than two days after he was arrested, police say
SEPTA police arrested Joshua Mister, 44, Friday while he was trying to avoid paying a fare at a Kensington SEPTA station, a SEPTA spokesperson said.
A Norristown man died over the weekend while in custody at a Philadelphia police station, less than two days after he was arrested, police said.
SEPTA police arrested Joshua Mister, 44, around 7:30 p.m. Friday on the 2800 block of Kensington Avenue, in Kensington, said Sgt. Eric Gripp, spokesperson for the police department. SEPTA officers approached Mister at the Somerset Station after they caught him trying to avoid paying the fare, said Andrew Busch, SEPTA spokesperson.
After running a background check on Mister, SEPTA officers discovered he was wanted on a bench warrant for failure to appear in court in Philadelphia, Busch said.
Mister was taken to Temple University Hospital’s Episcopal Campus for medical assessment and released and taken to the 25th District, on the 3900 block of Whitaker Avenue, for processing Friday night, said Busch.
Around 6 a.m. Sunday, a Philadelphia police officer found Mister unresponsive in his cell in the holding area at 25th District headquarters, said Gripp. He was pronounced dead at the scene minutes later, at 6:16 a.m.
Police did not release the cause of death.