FORT PIERCE — A 29-year-old jail inmate with a reported history of heart problems and drug use died Tuesday morning, a St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office release states.

A preliminary cause of death is listed as natural causes due to a heart attack.

A detention deputy about 3:30 a.m. saw David Joseph Pellicano, of the 300 block of Weatherbee Road, face down on his cell’s floor.

Officials revived Pellicano with an automated external defibrillator, though he was pronounced dead at 5 a.m. at Lawnwood Regional Medical Center & Heart Institute. An autopsy found the preliminary cause of death to be “natural causes by heart attack,” the release states.

Pellicano reportedly had admitted using steroids, heroin, powder cocaine and crack cocaine. Pellicano and his family had a history of heart problems.

Deputies arrested Pellicano Aug. 1 on charges including aggravated battery on a deputy, two counts of battery on deputies, resisting an officer without violence and possession of drug paraphernalia.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, August 25th, 2009 at 8:33 pm and is filed under St. Lucie County. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.