Death in Texas City: What happened to 45-year-old Rego Ornelas?

TEXAS CITY, Texas – What happened to 45-year-old Rego Ornelas? His family is determined to find out.

“I'm angry. I'm frustrated. I'm sad because he's gone. And he shouldn't be gone. He should be here with us,” said his mother, Rachel Ornelas.

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Rachel says an “inside source” in the county told her Monday that Rego was dead and that the family had not received any official notification from authorities.

Texas City police said in a news release they arrested Rego at 6:23 a.m. at the Texas City Biosphere after an employee found him in a secure area closed to the public.

It says they took him to the Galveston County Jail, where the jail would not accept him and “required medical fitness for incarceration.”

The press release states he was then taken by ambulance to UTMB, where he later died.

“It’s only right to let the family know,” Rachel said.

“No one has contacted us, no phone call, no letter, anything,” said Reva Rodriguez, Rego’s older sister.

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She says her brother leaves behind two children and will start a new job on Wednesday.

“He is someone and we are his voice,” she said.

On Thursday, Rachel filed an open records request with the Texas City Police Department, requesting body cameras, phone logs and other relevant records related to her brother's arrest and death.

FOX 26 reached out to Texas City police about the incident. We have not received a response yet.

The Department of Public Safety confirms it is investigating and will provide the results to the Galveston County District Attorney.

The prosecutor responded to our request for information by saying:

“The Texas Rangers are conducting an investigation into the in-custody death of Rego Ornelas, independent of the Texas City Police Department and the Galveston County Sheriff’s Office. We cannot comment further as this case is currently under investigation.”

Rego's family is raising money for his funeral. If you are interested in donating, you can do so here.