Man jailed in California tuberculosis case

FRESNO, Calif. (AP) — A man is being held in isolation at a Central California jail on allegations he has refused to submit to an exam to check for tuberculosis.

The Fresno Bee reports that 59-year-old Steven Reyes was scheduled to be arraigned remotely from his Fresno County jail cell Wednesday, but a judge had difficulty hearing him and continued the hearing until Monday. He is facing a misdemeanor charge.

According to court records, Reyes was deemed a sexually violent predator and committed to a state hospital in December. Authorities say he has since shown symptoms of TB disease, the active, contagious form of the illness. But they say he has refused to take a chest X-ray to determine whether he has the condition.

Reyes’ case is similar to one in San Joaquin County, where authorities arrested 25-year-old Eduardo Rosas Cruz last month on charges he has refused TB treatment.

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Information from: The Fresno Bee, http://www.fresnobee.com

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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