SAN DIEGO (CNS) — A 44-year-old inmate at the San Diego Central Jail downtown died in custody Sunday morning, according to authorities.
The unidentified man was discovered unresponsive in his cell at 7:05 a.m. Sunday by deputies who were performing their routine duties, according to the San Diego County Sheriff's Office.
"Upon observing the situation, the deputies immediately activated 9-1-1, requested additional assistance from the facility's medical staff, and began life saving measures," Lt. Juan Marquez said in a statement.
"Paramedics and the San Diego Fire Department assumed lifesaving measures upon their arrival. Despite their efforts, the individual was pronounced deceased at the detention facility at about 7:35 a.m."
The inmate had been in sheriff's custody since Nov. 8 and was facing charges for alleged shoplifting with priors.
"The San Diego Sheriff's Office extends our sympathies to the decedent's family and all those affected by his passing," Marquez said. "A Sheriff's Family Liaison Officer will support the family as they navigate through this difficult time."
The Citizens' Law Enforcement Review Board has been notified of the death.
"As is the protocol for all in-custody deaths, the Sheriff's Homicide Unit responded and is conducting a thorough investigation to ensure all aspects of this incident are examined," Marquez said.
The cause and manner of death will be determined by the county Medical Examiner's Office.
San Diego County has been under intense scrutiny for years over its unusually high number of in-custody deaths. In 2022, the California State Auditor found "deficiencies with how the sheriff's department provides care for and protects incarcerated individuals (that) likely contributed to in- custody deaths."
That audit examined 185 deaths within the San Diego County jail system from 2006 through 2020, a rate that exceeded all of California's other large counties during that time period. The county had 19 custody deaths in 2022 alone, and another six in 2023.
The Sheriff's Office has committed to a $500 million effort to modernize and upgrade its jails, but advocates have questioned whether those efforts are sufficient.
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