Lake Elsinore Man, 38, Dies In RivCo Jail

LAKE ELSINORE, CA — A Lake Elsinore man died in custody of the Riverside County Sheriff's Department on Tuesday when he allegedly experienced a medical emergency inside a county jail, authorities said.

Joel Rodriguez, 38, was found inside a day room at the Cois Byrd Detention Center experiencing a medical emergency that was not disclosed by officials. He was taken to Loma Linda University Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead, according to the sheriff's department.

Investigators from the county's corrections bureau and the coroner's bureau are investigating the death.

"There were not signs of foul play at the scene," Sergeant Matt Posson wrote in a statement on Wednesday.

Anyone with information regarding the incident is urged to contact Investigator Justin Williams at 951-955-6657.

It is Riverside County's second inmate death of 2026, with the first reported on New year's Day, when 19-year-old Ezekiel Cuenca-Torres of Riverside was found dead in his cell. Authorities said the incident "appears to be a suicide."

Already known as one of the nation's deadliest jail systems, Riverside County faced renewed scrutiny last year after a New York Times investigation linked a series of inmate homicides to lapses in security protocols.

READ MORE: Killed On Day 1: RivCo Jail Security Lapses Blamed For High Murder Rate | Report