LEMON GROVE, Calif. (KGTV) — Activists and family members of Irma Perez say she might still be alive if the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department had acted sooner. They are now demanding answers after Perez was found in a ditch in Lemon Grove in late July.
Richard Quinones, a neighbor who discovered Perez in the ditch near Main Street and Buena Vista Avenue, says he first called the Sheriff’s Department on July 29. He told dispatchers there was a woman lying in water. Quinones says a deputy drove by but left without intervening.
“They just pulled up, backed up a little bit, and then took off. I dialed again,” Quinones says.
He says during a follow-up call, a deputy told him Perez was a transient and advised him to leave her alone.
Three days later, on August 1, Quinones says he found Perez still in the ditch — barely alive.
“When I went to go check, I saw Irma horizontally in the water with ants all over her,” he said.
That’s when he called a third time. First responders quickly arrived and pulled Perez from the ditch. Video recorded by Quinones shows her being placed into an ambulance. Perez’s family says she died two days later.
They tell ABC 10News they believe her death could have been prevented.
“It’s been hard. She’s taking it hard. The kids are taking it hard. I’m taking it hard too. We just want justice,” said Andres Espinoza, brother-in-law of Perez.
Local activists are also demanding accountability.
“These are children that had their mother taken from them because of neglect from the Sheriff’s deputies that are there to protect and serve. Not see somebody and not do something, which is what they did,” said Ilka Weston, chair with Transparency & Accountability for Probation and Parole.
The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department confirmed to ABC 10News that an administrative investigation is now underway. The deputy involved has been placed on administrative assignment, though the agency declined to comment further on specifics.
The Medical Examiner’s Office will determine the official cause of death.
But her family members tell 10News the fight continues.
“It’s hard that she ain’t around. She’s the only person who knows what happened, and we’re trying to figure out what happened and see what comes next,” Espinoza said.
