Members of the Fresno County Sheriff’s Homicide Unit and Fresno County District Attorney’s Office are conducting an investigation into the death of an inmate at the Fresno County Jail.
At 1:05 pm on Tuesday, during a routine cell check, Fresno County Sheriff’s correctional officers found inmate, Daniel Telles, unresponsive inside his individual cell. Emergency personnel responded to aid Telles, but he was already deceased. Preliminary results show Telles hanged himself by attaching some fabric to a bookcase inside his cell. Detectives discovered a suicide note near his body. Correctional Officers had last checked on Telles at 12:17 pm and he was well.
27 year old Daniel Telles is the same inmate who attacked a Fresno County Sheriff’s correctional officer (CO) on Saturday, April 23rd. As the CO was conducting routine cell checks inside one of the jail’s pods, Telles attacked him. Telles used a jail made weapon, featuring a handle and sharp screw, to stab the officer behind his left ear. The injured officer took Telles to the ground and restrained him until assisting officers arrived and placed him in a holding cell. The CO was transported to the hospital for medical treatment. His injury did not require stitches and he was later released from the hospital. He has worked as an FSO correctional officer since March 2016.
Following the assault, Telles was placed into a safety cell by himself. He was later moved to a single cell and remained in this arrangement until Tuesday. He did not have contact with any other inmates during this time. Prior to being placed into a cell, mental health staff evaluated Telles for suicidal tendencies, but he did not exhibit anything to show he was at risk of hurting himself.
Telles was arrested on February 27, 2016 for several felony charges, including: Felon in possession of a firearm, felon in possession of ammunition, drug possession and possession of stolen property. He has been an inmate of the Fresno County Jail numerous times dating back to 2006.
Telles was being held in jail on $650,000 bond as he awaited a hearing on his charges of assault with a deadly weapon and possession of a weapon in jail, which came as a result of his attack on the correctional officer.
Anyone with additional information on Daniel Telles is asked to please contact the Sheriff’s Office dispatch at (559) 600-3111 or Crime Stoppers at (559) 498-STOP (7867). All tips will remain anonymous and you may be eligible for a cash reward.
