Middletown woman’s family alleges mother of 7 died from withdrawal mismanagement at Orange County Jail

The family of an Orange County mother of seven who allegedly died after spending three days at Orange County Jail has filed a lawsuit claiming her drug withdrawal was fatally mismanaged.

Blaise Gomez

Jun 19, 2024, 9:53 PM

Updated 185 days ago

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The family of an Orange County mother of seven who allegedly died after spending three days at Orange County Jail has filed a lawsuit claiming her drug withdrawal was fatally mismanaged.
Niki Capaci, 40, was behind bars for violating probation, according to her family’s attorney Jaehyun Oh, who says she was found deceased three days after entering the correctional facility in Goshen last May.
“She was found dead on the floor of her jail cell,” says Oh.
Capaci’s loved ones say the Middletown woman told jail medical providers that she needed drugs for withdrawal management and that she had a history of being unable to take the medication Suboxone. They say she asked for methadone instead, but that request was ignored and Capaci’s withdrawal symptoms, which allegedly included sweating, profuse vomiting, diarrhea and tremors, spiraled out of control.
“You have the constitutional right to be given medical care in jail and we believe in this case, that was ignored,” Oh says.
The woman’s family has filed a lawsuit against Orange County, a county corrections officer and the jail’s medical provider, Wellpath.
“Her pleas and screams were ignored for hours until she inevitably fell silent,” says the deceased inmate’s brother, Ben Capaci.
Family say jail video shows the woman unable to walk hours before her death and being taken to the infirmary in a wheelchair before she was released back to her cell where she was found dead in the morning.
“Though she had her faults, my mother was probably one of the best and now she’s gone,” says Capaci’s daughter, Maya Davila. “I used to get a text from her every day and now I don’t.”
Orange County Attorney Rick Golden says he disputes the allegations and plans to “vigorously defend” the corrections officer and county in court.
It’s not clear what the probation violation was for that allegedly caused Capaci to be remanded to the facility.
News 12 reached out to Wellpath but hasn’t heard back.