Police identify inmate who died at Maui jail

A Maui Community Correctional Center inmate who was pronounced dead after he was found unconscious in his cell last week was identified as Jonathan Pico, 29, of Kaunakakai.

He was found unconscious and unresponsive in his cell at the Wailuku jail at about 6:30 p.m. June 8, according to the state Department of Public Safety. Jail staff immediately began administering aid and called 911 before the inmate was pronounced dead by medics about an hour later, the department reported.

Police identified the inmate as Pico on Wednesday and said the case has been classified as an unattended death.

According to court records, Pico was transported to 2nd Circuit Court on the morning of June 8 and pleaded no contest to first-degree unauthorized control of a propelled vehicle, first-degree assault on a law enforcement officer, resisting arrest, leaving the scene of a collision involving damage to property or vehicle, duty to render aid and inattention to driving.

A second-degree robbery charge was to be dismissed as part of a plea agreement recommending a one-year jail term and four years’ probation for Pico. He was arrested in February after punching a driver to steal a vehicle that was later involved in a collision on Maui Veterans Highway. When officers located and tried to detain Pico, he struck an officer in the face and ran from officers into traffic on the highway, where he was struck by a vehicle, police said.

Pico was being held in lieu of $7,000 bail after his request to be released on supervision was denied June 8, according to court records.