SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — It's been more than one year since Sabrina and Tim Schuck received a phone call from the San Diego County Central Jail letting them know their son had died.
"The loss of something that literally is part of you. That was one thing to deal with and then there was this other issue of the custody, the neglect... the assumptions, the stigma," said Sabrina.
William "Hayden" Schuck, 22, was found unresponsive in his cell on March 16, 2022 - Six days after he was arrested for allegedly driving under the influence after a car crash.
Now, the Shuck's are suing the County of San Diego for wrongful death and negligence.
The lawsuit alleges that "Hayden died from profound dehydration and completely untreated withdrawals, which ultimately caused heart failure."
The Shuck's attorney, Lauren Williams, says had Hayden been properly supervised in custody he would still be alive.
"They should have known that he was at risk of having had drugs in his system. That he was at risk of having drugs or alcohol in his system," said Williams.
The sheriff's office has been under fire for in-custody deaths in the past. A dashboard shows the number of deaths in recent years.
In 2023, four people have died in custody. Three of those deaths were in jails.
In 2022,19 people died in custody and a 2022 report found San Diego county had the most jail deaths in the past decade of any California county with a similar inmate population.
According to his autopsy report, hours before Hayden was found unresponsive deputies noticed bed sores on his body.
The lawsuit says Hayden was taken to UC San Diego's Medical Center before being transported to jail on the day he was arrested.
According to the lawsuit, doctors did not find any external signs of trauma on Hayden and Hayden refused treatment, despite medical advice from doctors.
San Diego County Sheriff Kelly Martinez told ABC 10 News in March of 2023 that she is working to address the issue of people in-custody refusing treatment.
"We're streamlining our process of conservatorship of these individuals so we can make medical decisions for them on their behalf," said Sheriff Martinez.
A spokesperson for the sheriff's office responded to ABC 10 News inquiry regarding the Schuck's lawsuit with a statement reading in-part:
Our deepest sympathies go out to the family and loved ones of Mr. Schuck. Though the department does not comment on pending litigation, the Sheriff's Department continues to strive to maintain a safe environment for everyone in our custody.
The statement continued to describe that the "Detention Services Bureau has added a Wellness Check Program for those incarcerated persons deemed most at risk. These checks are comprised of a Multi-Disciplinary Group including sworn staff, mental health providers, nurses, correctional counselors and classification deputies."
The office also provided links to other changes being made do increase safety for those in-custody:
