ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — An Orlando mother is demanding answers six days after her son died while in jail.
Officials at the jail said they are waiting for an autopsy and for the investigation into Max Garcia's death to be completed.
“I never thought in a million years that I would have to be standing here for one of our children,” said Max Garcia’s aunt, Pauline Robinson, at the funeral Saturday.
Max Garcia, 22, was accused of robbing a BP gas station on Aug. 6.
He got caught with the evidence, ran from police, fought one of their K-9s and jumped in a lake, investigators said.
“I’m not going to sugarcoat it. I ain’t gonna dress it up. He’s dead because he’s disobedient. But I still love him,” said Max Garcia’s mother, Willine Garcia.
After four days in jail, Max Garcia died.
“I still will go to my last mile to find out what happened to my child in the hands of Orange County Corrections,” Willine Garcia said. “What caused it? Why? I just want to know. I need to know.”
She said she will not give up until Orange County officials come clean about what happened in that jail cell.
“They have been cooperating with me so far and we’re just waiting,” she said.
Willine Garcia said she never heard from her son while he was in jail.
The sheriff's office is conducting a death investigation pending the outcome of the medical examiner's official cause of death.