Petaluma Man Who Died In Deputy Custody Had Sued County Jail, Won

SONOMA COUNTY, CA — A man who died Wednesday night shortly after he was handcuffed — and given Narcan, a drug used in overdose situations to reverse the effects of opioids — by Sonoma County Sheriff's deputies is believed to be one of six plaintiffs in a lawsuit against the county jail that was settled in May 2018 for $1.7 million. The Petaluma Police Department identified 35-year-old Rigoberto "Rigo" Cabrera, a Petaluma resident, as the man who died while in deputy custody at a residential property in the area of Sonoma Mountain Road and Adobe Road.

The Petaluma Police Department, which was appointed to lead the investigation of the in-custody death under countywide protocol, released a statement Wednesday night about its initial findings.

The two deputies — authorities are not releasing their names at this point — responded to a 6:41 p.m. call from a resident who said a possibly homeless man had been parked in his neighbor's driveway for two days and refused to leave.

According to Petaluma police, deputies arrived at 7:36 p.m. to find Cabrera in the driver's seat of the SUV with "extensive drug paraphernalia in plain view within the vehicle." When Cabrera told them he had a warrant out for his arrest, the deputies had him get out of the car.

"Shortly after detaining the subject, the deputies noted the subject appeared to be experiencing a medical emergency," said Petaluma police Lt. Brian Miller.

According to Petaluma Police Department's initial findings:

"The deputies assisted the subject onto the ground and into a seated position. The subject appeared to pass out and the deputies placed the subject on his side in a recovery position. The deputies requested emergency medical aid, began providing first aid to the subject, and administered a dose of Narcan. The deputies monitored the subject’s pulse and breathing and after the first dose of Narcan was ineffective they administered a second dose.

"As paramedics from the Petaluma Fire Department were arriving on scene the deputies could no longer locate the subject’s pulse. They advised the paramedics, removed the subject from handcuffs, and immediately began assisting them with administering CPR. Despite continued lifesaving efforts of the deputies and paramedics for an extended period of time the subject died at the scene."

The sheriff's office secured the scene and invoked the Sonoma County Law Enforcement Employee-Involved Critical Incident Protocol, at which time personnel with both the Petaluma Police Department and Sonoma County District Attorney's Office responded and began their investigation.

Petaluma police confirmed Cabrera did have an outstanding misdemeanor warrant for his arrest out of Sonoma County for suspected destruction of evidence and possession of a narcotic substance.

"Cabrera has had numerous prior contacts and arrests with Sonoma County law enforcement agencies," Miller said.

Miller noted that because the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office oversees the county coroner's unit, the Marin County Sheriff's Coroner Division will conduct Cabrera's autopsy.

"The involved deputies are not being identified at this time as the investigation is still active and ongoing," Miller said.

• RELATED COVERAGE: Man Dies While Detained By Sonoma County Sheriff's Deputies

Lawsuit

Cabrera and five other people who spent time at Sonoma County jail brought a federal lawsuit against the county alleging mistreatment during "yard counseling" by correctional deputies. The lawsuit was settled for $1.7 million in May 2018, Patch confirmed Friday with the office of attorney Isaak Schwaiger.

Cabrera appears in this video by ABC7 about the lawsuit: