Eric Perez’s family met with Duval County Sheriff Ramiro Ramirez but the family said they still don’t have the answers they’re looking for.
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The Benavides family is searching for answers after a family member died at the Duval County Jail Thursday.
Belinda Everett-Lerma said her son Eric was a good son, dad and friend.
“Eric was a wonderful person. Not because I’m his mom, but he was good. He had a big heart. He loved everybody. He didn’t have many enemies. He was just an awesome person. He devoted himself to his daughter. He was my best friend. And my only boy,” Belinda said.
When Belinda got the call he was in the hospital, she couldn’t believe it. She said it didn’t feel real until she walked into the room where his body was.
“When I saw my son, I was in shock. He was beaten so bad. He had bumps all over his head. All around. I walked around him. I saw the back, I couldn’t see the back side, but I saw the sides, his forehead, his cheeks. It was the right side, it was all – the skin was all scraped off,” she said.
Eric’s daughter Hailey Perez said he was the best father.
“He was not only a provider. You can have a father and only be a provider. It was both,” Hailey said. “He used to call me his little soldier rock. He always wanted me to focus on my career and become an FBI agent. If not, to be a teacher. To be successful.”
She said her life is forever changed now.
“I called my cousin back, he’s crying and I’m like, ‘what happened?'” Hailey said. “And he’s saying ‘he’s dead.’ And I’m like, ‘who, who, who’s dead?’ And he says, ‘your dad.’ Immediately my body goes into shock. I can’t move. I can’t talk.”
According to his family, Eric was in custody for public intoxication at the jail. His family met with Duval County Sheriff Ramiro Ramirez, but Belinda said they still don’t have the answers they’re looking for.
“The statement he gave was that he died at the hospital and he did not die at the hospital,” Belinda said. “He died in their hands because he did admit, and that’s when we all stood up and left after he admitted that they did perform CPR on him there at the jail.”
3NEWS reached out to Sheriff Ramirez several times to confirm the details about what happened, but so far we have not received a response.
Saturday, Belinda and Hailey took to the sidewalk outside of Duval County Jail to protest in memory of Eric.
“I’m gonna fight with every inch of my body for the rest of my life. And he will not be forgotten, ever be forgotten for the kind-hearted person he was,” Belinda said.
Belinda said the family is still waiting for Eric’s autopsy results. He will be laid to rest next week at their family cemetery.
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