Family says NYC detainee, 20, dies after a week in jail — 3rd detainee death of 2025

A 20-year-old man died after becoming critically ill in Department of Correction custody last week, according to his family — making him the third New York City detainee to die so far this year.

Ariel Quidone spent about a week in custody while awaiting trial on robbery charges before his death, court and jail records show. He was most recently arrested on March 6 in connection with an incident on the Lower East Side, and prosecutors said they requested bail because he had allegedly robbed another person in the neighborhood three weeks prior. He pleaded not guilty in the earlier case, according to court records.

When asked about Quidone, the correction department would not confirm he died, but said “a person experienced a medical emergency” while in custody on March 13 and was taken to Elmhurst Hospital. An agency spokesperson said a judge released him from custody the following day while he was receiving medical treatment, and declined to provide details.

Now, Quidone’s family is pressing for answers about the circumstances that led to his death. They said on Tuesday that he had no history of major health issues and missed a court date without explanation last week.

The family referred questions to their attorneys at the firm Rubenstein and Rynecki, who did not immediately comment. The Daily News first reported Quidone’s death.

A memorial of candles, flowers, photos and dollar bills commemorated Quidone outside his family’s building at NYCHA’s Vladeck Houses on the Lower East Side on Tuesday. Neighbors stopped to pay tribute, saying he was a familiar presence in the complex since he was a baby.

Two other Rikers Island detainees, Terrence Moore, 55, and Ramel Powell, 38, died in custody last month, according to officials. The correction department said Moore died after having a seizure in the holding area of Manhattan court, but did not say how Powell died, and both deaths remain under investigation.

Criminal justice advocates also urged the city to disclose more information about how Quidone died. The nonprofit Legal Aid Society called for an independent investigation into his death.

“They release someone who is about to die at Rikers, thinking the public won't notice it was Rikers that killed them,” Darren Mack, cofounder of the group Freedom Agenda, said in a statement.

The three Rikers detainee deaths come amid a string of at least seven prisoner deaths across the state so far this year, according to the Correctional Association of New York, a watchdog organization. While those serving time in state prisons have generally been convicted of a crime, those in city Department of Correction custody, like Quidone, are usually awaiting trial.