A 38-year-old man who was arrested for allegedly defiling his 11-year-old stepdaughter has reportedly died while in police custody at the Agyeikrom Police Station in the Central Region.

The deceased, identified as Emmanuel Cudjoe, was arrested in the early hours of May 10, 2026, in connection with the alleged abuse case.

According to police, officers at the station later received information at about 11:00 a.m. that the suspect had been found unresponsive in the cell.

Police said preliminary investigations indicated that he allegedly used a strip torn from the edge of a blanket he had been sleeping on.

Personnel from the Elmina District Police Command and the Regional Crime Scene Management Team subsequently visited the station to examine the scene.

In a statement, police said the suspect was found against the wall of the cell with the torn fabric tied around his neck. Preliminary observations reportedly revealed no visible signs of physical violence on the body.

The deceased, who was a carpenter and a native of Ayensudo, a suburb of Elmina, was later conveyed to the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital, where he was pronounced dead by a medical officer on duty.

His body has since been deposited at the hospital morgue pending autopsy, while family members have been informed.

Police say investigations into the circumstances surrounding the incident are ongoing.