SAN DIEGO (CNS) — An inmate at the San Diego Central Jail who was arrested Thursday on suspicion of drug crimes was found unresponsive in his cell this weekend and died at a local hospital, sheriff's officials said Saturday.
A deputy conducting a security check at 7:20 p.m. Friday at the downtown jail discovered a 34-year-old man who was unresponsive inside his cell, according to detectives from the San Diego County Sheriff's Office. The inmate was housed alone. The deputy immediately requested assistance from jail medical staff, called 911 and began life-saving measures.
"Paramedics and personnel from the San Diego Fire Department continued resuscitation efforts upon arrival," SDSO Homicide Lt. Juan Marquez said. "The individual was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced deceased at approximately 8:05 p.m."
The inmate was arrested by the San Diego Police Department and booked into sheriff's custody on Thursday. He was facing several possible drug-related charges, including possession of a controlled substance, transportation/sales of narcotics, and possession of drug paraphernalia, according to authorities.
The identity of the man was being withheld pending family notification.
"The San Diego County Sheriff's Office extends its sympathies to the decedent's family and all those affected by his passing," Marquez said. "A Sheriff's Family Liaison Officer has been assigned to support the family during this difficult time."
The Citizens' Law Enforcement Review Board was notified of the incident.
In accordance with protocol for all in-custody deaths, the sheriff's Homicide Unit responded and is conducting an investigation to examine all aspects of the incident. The cause and manner of death will be determined by the San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office, officials said.
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.
