At the end of June, officials at Western State Hospital claimed they restored Thomas J. Sturgesâs mental health enough for him to stand trial, so they returned him to King County jail to resolve his criminal case. At the end of August, jail staff found him unable to stop vomiting, reduced to nearly half his body weight and in need of medical and psychiatric care.
Sometime between January 2022 and August 2023, the 31-year-old, six-foot-tall man dropped from 180 pounds to 100 pounds. As of this week, he remains at Harborview Medical Center. His mom, Lenette Garza, said doctors told her he may need weeks to stabilize before release. A month after the hospital admitted him, Garza said heâd regained just ten pounds. At this point, she hopes the court doesnât send her son back to jail.Â
âI want him back in California as soon as possible so we can take care of him,â Garza said.
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