SAN DIEGO — San Diego County has agreed to pay $16 million to the family of a 22-year-old man who died in jail custody in 2022, marking one of the largest settlements in the county's history for an in-custody death.
William "Hayden" Schuck died in March 2022, six days after being arrested on an alleged DUI charge. He was found unresponsive in his cell at the San Diego County jail.
"There isn't a morning that goes by that I don't wake up with him the first thing on my mind," said Sabrina Schuck, Hayden's mother.
The family filed a lawsuit claiming deputies failed to provide proper care for Schuck during his time in custody. After a three-year legal battle, they reached a historic settlement with the county.
Video footage from Schuck's arrest shows him being asked for consent for a blood sample. Later footage shows him in the initial holding cell, where the family's attorneys say he was demonstrating clear signs of intoxication, withdrawal, and dehydration.
"With no access to the day room, no phone, no emails from his family and friends who had been trying to reach out to him, he was forgotten in a cell for days," said Michelle Angeles, the family's attorney.
Schuck had drugs in his system at the time of his arrest and struggled with substance abuse, his family acknowledged.
"The day that we found out that he was in jail, my first thought was, thank God. Thank God no one was hurt. And he's in a safe place," Sabrina Schuck said.
The settlement comes amid ongoing concerns about deaths in San Diego County jails. According to a state audit released in 2022, 185 people died in San Diego County jails between 2006 and 2020.
"They sued because the county has known for years that the detainees in their custody have been dying at staggering rates. And despite knowing this, they have failed to make meaningful change to prevent these deaths," Angeles said.
The Schuck case follows another significant settlement. In 2023, the county agreed to pay $15 million to the family of Elisa Serna, who died in sheriff's custody in November 2019.
"We think that the culture needs to change from one of self-protection and cover-up and protecting against liability to one of transparency and truth and reform," said Tim Scott, an attorney representing the Serna family.
A spokesperson for the Sheriff's Office acknowledged the settlement, saying it will come from their budget. In a statement, they said Sheriff Martinez has implemented significant reforms focused on accountability, expanded access to healthcare, and enhanced staff training.
The Schuck family plans to use the settlement money to contribute to different organizations focused on prevention and intervention programs for at-risk youth and families.
"We acknowledge his mental illness of substance abuse and did everything in our power. We really believe we want to build prevention and intervention programs for the youngest and the most at-risk youth and families," Sabrina Schuck said.
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