A transgender woman was found dead in her jail cell at Rikers Island Saturday, fueling questions from family members and activists alike on the details leading up to her death.
According to ABC 7 New York, CPR was performed on Layleen Polanco. However, her death was confirmed one hour after an officer found the 27-year-old unresponsive in her cell. A cause of death has not been revealed and officials from the Department of Corrections (DOC) are promising a full probe into the incident.
"Any death in our custody is a tragic loss, and we are looking into how this happened," a representative for the DOC said, via The New York Post.
Polanco, who is Afro-Latinx according to Democracy Now!, was detained on April 16 after allegedly charging at a cab driver and being in possession of a controlled substance.
"We are heartbroken over the death of our beloved Layleen, whose bright light was an inspiration to all who knew her," Polanco's family said in a statement Sunday obtained by NBC News. The family demands answers and we are entitled to them."
Polanco's death has fueled protests from LGBTQ activist groups in New York. The New York City Anti-Violence Project are holding a rally in her honor Monday evening, per Facebook.