Vigil, March Planned For Former Inmate Found Dead At BART

DUBLIN, CA — A walk and “no candlelight” vigil in honor of a former inmate found dead at a Dublin BART station is planned this month. Organizers say the event is intended to raise awareness about the “dangerous and deadly practice” of releasing woman from jail during late night hours.

On July 28, Berkley resident Jessica St. Louis, 26, was found dead near the passenger pick-up/drop-off area at the station at about 5:30 a.m. Hours before, St. Louis was released from the Santa Rita Jail in Dublin after serving 11 days in custody.

Authorities said an autopsy showed no signs of homicide or assault and suspect the cause of death to be a drug overdose. Investigators are awaiting toxicology results.

Sgt. Ray Kelly from the Alameda County Sheriff's Department said the woman was released from jail around 1:30 a.m. and had no signs of injury.

Since her death, activists have rallied at the Santa Rita Jail in Dublin and in Oakland, criticizing the Alameda County Sheriff's Office for releasing her from jail overnight and calling for an "end the dangerous practice of late night releases."

Earlier this month, Jessica Nowlan, the executive director of the Young Women's Freedom Center, a San Francisco group that advocates for women of color who have grown up in poverty and been incarcerated, said in a statement, "We are excited to announce that Jessica St. Louis' Senator, Nancy Skinner, has agreed to carry a bill. We have a list of demands that have come from years of organizing with women who have experienced unsafe prison and jail release practices, and are now beginning the process of translating those demands into legislation. Together we will make sure that California leads the way and ends the practice of late night releases."

The march and vigil, hosted by the Young Women’s Freedom Center, is scheduled to leave from the Santa Rita Jail in Dublin at 9 p.m. on Aug. 19. The march will follow the route St. Louis took before she was found dead. Skinner is expected to join the group.

• Death Of Former Inmate Prompts Push To End Late Night Releases

Sheriff's spokesman Sgt. Ray Kelly said that St. Louis' death was "an unfortunate situation" but said the jail releases up to 100 people a day around the clock and can't keep people in custody after they're released.

Alameda County court records indicate that St. Louis was charged with felony grand theft for an offense last Nov. 16 and that she entered a not guilty plea on June 15. Court records also indicate that she was charged with two misdemeanor counts of second-degree burglary and one count each of misdemeanor grand theft and misdemeanor vandalism for offenses last Sept. 29.

According to her family, St. Louis was born in Haiti and moved to the U.S. to live with her father when she was 7 years old after her mother died. She was placed in foster care when she was in seventh grade and her father died when she was in high school.

A GoFundMe page has been established to help the family pay for funeral, which was held on August 6.

Bay City News contributed to this report

Photo courtesy GoFundMe

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