Honduras Teen Dies in US Custody
A Honduras' teen who entered the United States unaccompanied has died in the custody of the government.
According to BBC, the Honduran foreign affairs office confirmed that the 17-year-old boy was Angel Eduardo Maradiaga Espinoza, who died at a Florida shelter facility.
The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) acknowledged the death in a statement but did not disclose the teen's identity or cause of death.
The shelter where the child was being housed is overseen by the HHS Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), which offers temporary accommodation and medical treatment to unaccompanied migrant children.
The Honduras teen had reportedly been in US custody for five days before he was found unconscious on Wednesday morning. He was then transferred to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead an hour later, a source told CBS News.
There was "no altercation of any kind," and the cause of death is still under investigation, according to Bill Pellan, director of investigations. Pellan said medical professionals could not revive the Honduras' teen when they tried to resuscitate him.
The child's mother, Norma Sara Espinoza Maradiaga, told Associated Press that her son wanted to live the American Dream and told her he was in a shelter and not to worry.
Within 72 hours of arrest, border patrol agents are obligated by law to turn over unaccompanied minors to ORR, which places them in shelters and other facilities across the country until they reach 18 or are claimed by a sponsor in the US.
Enrique Reina, the secretary of foreign affairs in Honduras, said the Honduran government has called for a "comprehensive investigation" into the boy's death.
READ NEXT : Honduras Diplomatic Relations
Honduras Teen's Mom Says Her Son Had Epilepsy but Not Serious
The mother of the Honduras teen migrant said Saturday that her son had epilepsy but showed no signs of being seriously ill before he departed for the United States, AP reported.
Norma Sara Espinoza Maradiaga revealed that her son had epilepsy since he was eight, but his seizures were short and non-life-threatening.
"The longest a seizure would last was less than a minute. It seemed like it only hit him a little," the teen's mom told the outlet in a phone interview.
Espinoza Maradiaga said that Angel Eduardo Maradiaga Espinoza left their hometown of Olanchito last April 25 and journeyed across the US-Mexico border a few days later.
He was referred to the HHS on May 5. His mother said it was the day she had her final conversation with her son. Espinoza Maradiaga claimed that she first heard about her son's death from a friend at the migrant shelter and then from a US official who confirmed it.
"I want to clear up my son's real cause of death... No one tells me anything. The anguish is killing me," she said.
She added that she had not received any other information and that officials were waiting for the autopsy results.
Honduras Teen Wants to Reunite with His Father in the US
Angel Eduardo Maradiaga Espinoza had aspirations to join his father in the US and help his family back in Honduras.
According to his mother, his son hoped to work and support her and his two younger siblings who remained in Honduras.
Angel Eduardo had completed the eighth grade before quitting school to work as an assistant mechanic. In addition to his work, he was also a renowned soccer player in his birthplace in northern Honduras and had been playing since he was seven years old.
His mother blessed him to travel to the US to reunite with his father and improve their lives. In the statement, the HHS expressed condolences and noted that a medical examiner was already investigating the cause of death.
READ MORE : US-Mexico Border Records Major Migrant Surge
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Written by: Bert Hoover
WATCH: Migrant Teen From Honduras Dies in Custody of Florida Facility - From NBC News
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