Murder suspect dies on Rikers Island days after Bronx shooting

A man accused of fatally shooting his building superintendent and wounding two others in a dispute over a shared backyard died in custody on Rikers Island on Saturday, city officials said.

Jimmy Avila, 44, was arrested Wednesday in connection with the shooting death of 37-year-old Ryan Hines inside a Mount Eden apartment building. Avila was found lifeless around 4:30 p.m. Saturday inside the jail complex’s West Facility, according to the New York City Department of Correction.

Jail staff discovered Avila and provided aid until medical staff and emergency medical services arrived, but he could not be revived and was pronounced dead, the department said. The Department of Correction said its “hearts are heavy with the loss of an individual in our care” and that it will conduct a thorough investigation into the circumstances of the death.

The city medical examiner’s office said the circumstances of Avila’s death are pending further study following an autopsy conducted Sunday. The Legal Aid Society represented Avila in the case, according to officials.

Police say three people were shot in the incident at the Mount Eden building; Hines, the building superintendent, died. Authorities characterized the shooting as stemming from a dispute over a shared backyard. Avila was taken into custody days after the shooting and charged in connection with the attack.

The Department of Correction statement expressed sympathy to Avila’s loved ones and reiterated that it will investigate the death. The medical examiner’s review and the DOC inquiry are expected to determine cause and manner of death; officials did not release further details Sunday.

The shooting, arrest and subsequent death come amid ongoing public attention to jail safety and oversight, and the investigations by city agencies will provide additional information about the sequence of events that led to Avila’s custody death and the earlier violence in Mount Eden.