L-R: St. Pol Lt. Brian Shortall, Lungen, Liberty Vil. Lt. Robert Mir, and Monticello Vill Pol. Chief Douglas Solomon

MONTICELLO – The death of Regenald Rios, 17,  of Monticello in Liberty on February 27th has been ruled accidental.

Rios’ body was found with his head wedged between basement doors at an apartment building at 46 Chestnut Street. Police found contusions on his face and hands and investigated the case as if it was a homicide.

But, as the investigation unfolded, it was determined that Rios had been involved in a fight with Angelo Dion Johnson, 32, a resident of that address, but that after the two fought over a drug deal that did not materialize, they went their separate ways, said Sullivan District Attorney Steven Lungen. Johnson took and passed a lie detector test about his dealings with Rios, the DA said.

Rios went into the basement, presumably to leave the building, tried to squeeze through the Bilco cellar doors, but they were padlocked and had a large amount of snow on them, Lungen said. Rios became stuck, lost his footing and apparently hung himself to death.

 “There’s evidence that there was any criminal involve in the manner in which Rios was found in the basement when he died,” said Lungen. “There’s no evidence that anyone else was in the basement and there no evidence that there was any kind of fight, struggle, that took place in the basement.”

As word of the youth’s death spread, all kinds of rumors circulated in the community, including that a man from Monticello killed him. Monticello Police Chief Douglas Solomon said two friends of the dead youth went to that man’s residence and pumped two bullets into it. No one was hurt and police arrested the shooters.

No one was charged in connection with the death of Rios, said Lungen.