Oscar Batista, a 32-year-old money-laundering suspect, attempted to hang himself this afternoon while in a holding cell of the citywide Office of the Special Narcotics Prosecutor in downtown Manhattan, officials said.
Batista appeared unconscious and was being given oxygen as he was removed on a gurney from 80 Centre St. around 3 p.m. He had attempted to hang himself around 2:15 p.m.
Batista was taken to Bellvue hospital.
“We had a prisoner in custody who attempted to hang himself,” special narcotics spokeswoman Kati Cornell said soon after the incident. “We are in the process of gathering information on this,” she added.
Batista had been arrested within the past 24 hours and had been expected to be arraigned before a judge this afternoon on two counts of money-laundering, a source said.
The office prosecutes and investigates felony narcotics cases throughout the city.