Inmate dies week after assault in Kenton County jail, police say

An inmate at the Kenton County Detention Center died Sunday after he was beaten by another inmate, police said.

Officers responded to the jail on May 14 for a report of an unresponsive person and discovered 61-year-old John Daulton not breathing, Kenton County Police Department officials said in a news release Monday afternoon.

Officials said Johnathan Maskiell, 32, of Vanceburg, Kentucky, assaulted Daulton while the two men were housed together in a jail cell.

A jail deputy, who was on watch at the time of the alleged assault, told investigators he heard two loud "thuds" and ran to the cell, according to a criminal citation.

The deputy said he witnessed Maskiell stomp on Daulton's head twice before he was able to enter the cell and stop the assault, the citation states.

Officials said Daulton was taken to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, where he died a week later.

Maskiell is charged with first-degree assault, officials said, though the Kenton County Police Department is working with the Kenton County Commonwealth's Attorney's Office to upgrade that charge.

The investigation is ongoing, police said. Maskiell is scheduled to appear in court Tuesday afternoon for a preliminary hearing.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Police: Inmate dies week after assault in Kenton County jail