AUGUSTA — An inmate found dead early Tuesday morning was identified by the Kennebec County Sheriff’s Office as Moises Pujols, 34, of Skowhegan.
“The cause of death is still under investigation pending completed reports from the Medical Examiner’s Office,” according to a news release issued Wednesday by that agency.
Moises Radhame Pujols was on probation through the department’s Skowhegan probation office, according to the state’s Department of Corrections website.
Pujols had been on probation after being convicted in June 2016 of a felony-level domestic violence assault charge.
The sentence was four years in prison, with Pujols ordered to serve an initial 18 months behind bars and the remainder suspended while he spent two years on probation. According to the same website, he would have been released from probation in November 2019.
Pujols had prior convictions for domestic violence and in January 2015, he was convicted of unlawful furnishing of scheduled drugs that occurred Aug. 28, 2013, in Augusta.
He previously lived in Auburn, Augusta and Winslow. Most recently he was arrested June 13 in Somerset County on a charge of violation the terms of his probation.
Pujols was found to be unresponsive Tuesday at about 3:45 a.m. during a routine check of inmates, according to the news release. It says corrections officers began CPR while Augusta Rescue was called, and he was later pronounced dead at the scene.
The jail was locked down all of Tuesday morning, meaning no visitors or lawyers were able to see inmates there.
The Major Crimes Unit of the Maine State Police is investigating the death. The Kennebec Sheriff’s County Sheriff’s office will be doing its own internal investigation.
The release says Pujols’ identity was not released until the next of kin were notified.
Pujols’ Facebook page he planned to open a business June 1 called Hot Stylz Hair Styling & Tattoo Parlor at 109 College Avenue in Waterville.
The small, gray, one-story building at that address was quiet Wednesday afternoon and appeared as if no one had been around. Visible through the door window were black and white chairs and hair styling stations, shelves, a couch and a room off to the side. On the stations were a half-eaten bag of Humpy Dumpty potato chips, a Dunkin’ Donuts coffee cup and other items.
Neighbors in the area said Pujols worked hard to renovate the inside of the building, working at night with the lights on.
He had removed a lot of debris from inside the building and that debris caught on fire at one point, requiring the fire department to respond.
The building’s owner, Edward Oliver, declined to comment.
Pujols graduated several years ago from Aveda Institute Maine, A Capilo School, according to Frank Coco, director of the school in Augusta..
“He was a respectful kid and a great barber,” Coco said on Wednesday evening. “He was a gentleman when he was here. He just couldn’t keep himself out of jail.”
Coco said Pujols had been released early in the summer and visited the institute to purchase products and talk about revamping his shop.
He said Pujols had several children.
Sierra Dostie, who works across College Avenue at Casey’s Redemption, said Pujols would come into the business with his young daughter.
“He was always very nice and friendly,” Dostie said, adding that she heard Pujols had gone to jail.
Neighbors who asked not to be named said 109 College Avenue formerly was a barbershop and then a pet grooming business before Pujols moved in. After he did so, a lot of people would come and go from the building, one woman said.
Amy Calder — 861-9247
Twitter: @AmyCalder17
Betty Adams — 621-5631
Twitter: @betadams
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