A man sentenced to life in prison in a 2022 Pima County child molestation case died Wednesday in the custody of Arizona state prison officials. Modesto Jimenez, 46, was pronounced dead at a hospital in Phoenix after being there nearly a month.
Jimenez was the ninth person to die in state prison custody in March.
Officials with the Arizona Department of Corrections Rehabilitation & Reentry did not detail why Jimenez was taken to St. Joseph’s Hospital. His prison record indicates he was taken to the hospital on February 28.
He was being held at the Arizona State Prison Complex in Phoenix, in the Baker Unit — the highest security section of that prison.
In March 2022, Jimenez was found guilty and sentenced to life behind bars, with no possibility of parole until serving at least 35 years of his sentence, for a 2019 crime of sexual conduct with a minor. He was also sentenced to 15 years in prison for a 2016 crime of attempting to commit molestation of a child.
Court records of the case were not immediately available online. Many cases involving sexual offenses against minors are sealed by the courts to protect the victims.
“All inmate deaths are investigated in consultation with the county medical examiner’s office,” prison officials said.
There are about 34,650 inmates in Arizona state prison facilities and private prisons, according to February figures. That figure does not include those held at county jails, in federal prison facilities, or immigration detention centers.
March 2024 Arizona prison deaths
As indicated by death notifications by state officials.
| Inmate | Age | Date of death | Prison location | Conviction/year | County |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linda Adam | 61 | March 1 | ASPC-Perryville | aggravated assault/2013 | Maricopa County |
| James Walker | 44 | March 2 | ASPC-Tucson | aggravated assault, armed robbery, drugs/2018 | Maricopa County |
| Joseph Lopez | 61 | March 5 | ASPC-Tucson | child molestation/2006 | Yuma County |
| Gregory Jones | 27 | March 6 | La Palma Correctional Center | armed robbery/2022 | Maricopa County |
| Richard Romar | 94 | March 7 | ASPC-Tucson | child molestation/2008 | Mohave County |
| Alfonso Sisneros | 69 | March 9 | ASPC-Phoenix | assault with a deadly weapon/1979 | Maricopa County |
| Herley Taylor | 33 | March 12 | La Palma Correctional Center | aggravated assault/2023 | Maricopa County |
| Regina Moreno | 73 | March 16 | ASPC-Perryville | aggravated DUI/2024 | Maricopa County |
| Modesto Jimenez | 46 | March 20 | ASPC-Phoenix | child molestation/2022 | Pima County |