OTAY MESA (KGTV)- A man who died in ICE custody at the Otay Mesa Detention Center over the weekend has now been identified, and two San Diego County supervisors are demanding answers.
ICE has confirmed that 43-year-old Roberto Jimenez Gutierrez, from Guatemala, was found unresponsive inside his cell at the Otay Mesa Detention Center on October 24th.
Just days after the death, county leaders say they've been raising concerns about health and safety inside the facility for months. Now, they're calling for answers about this death and guaranteed access for inspections moving forward.
"When our government takes someone into custody, it takes responsibility for their life, their health, and their safety. No one should lose their basic human rights just because they're behind bars," San Diego County Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer said.
On Tuesday, San Diego County Supervisors Lawson-Remer and Paloma Aguirre called on ICE, the Trump administration and CoreCivic — the company that runs the facility — to cooperate with investigators and turn over records and video.
"Provide a timeline of this person's care from intake to death, including any health conditions noted at intake, requests for medical help, medical visits, and when staff last checked on them," Aguirre said.
ICE says when staff found Gutierrez, they called for medical help and began life-saving measures but were unsuccessful. The cause of death has not been determined.
Gutierrez's death comes after ongoing concerns over conditions inside and the court battle to get access.
"We should not have to sue the federal government every time a public health officer needs to walk inside an ICE detention facility," Lawson-Remer said.
Following a county inspection in June, the county public health officer found problems with tuberculosis reporting and delays in getting medical equipment. ICE says it provides medical screenings, access to medical appointments and emergency care to people in its custody.
In a statement Corecivic said, "We are deeply saddened by the loss of anyone in our care. Our government partners at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) were notified immediately. All deaths in ICE custody are reviewed by ICE."
The supervisors sent a letter to ICE and DHS demanding access and information on whether anything has been fixed.
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