Man Found Crawling In Parking Lot Dies After Arrest In Cardiff

ENCINITAS, CA — A man died after struggling with San Diego County sheriff's deputies following his arrest over the weekend in Cardiff, authorities said.

Deputies from the department's North County Coastal Patrol Station responded to a call of a "suspicious person" around 11:55 p.m. Saturday in the 800 block of Birmingham Drive, according to the San Diego County Sheriff's Department. The caller reported that a man in his 30s was crawling around the parking lot with no shirt and no shoes.

The man was arrested without incident for being under the influence of a controlled substance, police said. He was taken to the Vista Detention Facility.

Prior to being booked into jail, the man began throwing himself against the interior of the patrol car and injured his face, officials said. He also moved his handcuffs to the front of his body.

"Deputies requested paramedics, then had the male exit the car, fix his handcuffs, and sit down on a bench," officials said in a news release. "Shortly after that, the male stood up and then began kicking and flailing against deputies trying to control him. Deputies requested additional assistance and then applied a WRAP restraint device to the male."

After paramedics arrived, the man suffered a medical emergency, lost consciousness and stopped breathing. He was pronounced dead at about 4 a.m. at a hospital.

The San Diego Police Department's Homicide Unit was called to the scene to conduct the in-custody death investigation.

The man was tentatively identified. Detectives will work with the San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office to confirm his identity.

Anyone with information about the case was asked to call the Homicide Unit at 619-531-2293 or San Diego County Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477.