Sex Offender Sal Inghilleri Dies In LI Jail

One of Long Island's most infamous sex offenders died Saturday morning after collapsing in jail and refusing medical treatment, Suffolk County officials said.

Sal Inghilleri,who more than a decade ago soared into the national media spotlight, after being convicted of molesting 9-year-old Katie Beers, had been scheduled for a medical checkup, but refused to go, according to Chief Michael Sharkey.

Officials say emergency crews were called to the scene and were able to revive the 55-year-old for a short while, before he was later pronounced dead at Peconic Bay Medial Center. Inghilleri was overweight and reportedly visited medical staff at the jail frequently. The medical examiner will determine a cause of death.

During the probe into Katie Beer's disappearance, authorities revealed Inghilleri sexually abused the minor, who happened to be his wife's goddaughter, before she was kidnapped. Inghilleri served 12 years behind bars for molesting Katie Beers, who was kept stashed inside a dungeon by John Esposito, a family friend.

Beers vanished in 1992 after being kidnapped by John Esposito from a Nesconset video arcade.

In 2007, Inghilleri was arrested and charged with a felony after reportedly fleeing Long Island and failing to register as a sex offender. He has been held on bail in the Riverhead jail since October 2007.

News Source: http://www.wpix.com/