DUBLIN, CA — A 36-year-old woman died nine days after she was found unresponsive in her cell at Santa Rita Jail, according to the Alameda County Sheriff's Office. Jessica Watson of Oakland is the fifth person in 2026 whose death has been linked to custody at Santa Rita Jail.
Watson was arrested by the Hayward Police Department on outstanding warrants for domestic violence and driving under the influence, the sheriff's office said. She was booked into Santa Rita Jail at approximately 2:47 a.m. Oct. 10.
At approximately 8:36 p.m. on Oct. 13, deputies conducted a welfare check and observed Watson seated on the lower bunk of her cell, the sheriff's office said. Watson did not respond physically or verbally, so deputies entered her cell, and saw what appeared to be a ligature around her neck.
Deputies initiated life saving measures and notified jail medical staff, who responded and rendered medical aid. Although Watson had a pulse, she remained unresponsive. She was transported to a local hospital for further medical treatment.
She remained at a local hospital for treatment, and her next of kin was notified of her hospitalization. On Oct. 14 at approximately 5:22 p.m. she was released from custody on her own recognizance while hospitalized. The sheriff's office did not publicly explain who authorized her release or whether her medical condition influenced the decision.
Patch reached out to the Alameda County Sheriff's Office for further information.
She was pronounced dead by medical staff Oct. 22 at approximately 7:52 p.m. The official cause of death will be determined following an autopsy and any necessary toxicology testing. The circumstances surrounding the incident remain under investigation. The sheriff's office said that her death was reported to the California Attorney General under Government Code Section 12525.
Four other deaths were reported this year:
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