Inmate Dies After Medical Emergency At San Diego Central Jail

SAN DIEGO, CA — A 62-year-old man in custody at the San Diego Central Jail died Sunday after suffering a medical emergency, authorities said.

Other people in custody alerted deputies around 2:20 p.m. that the man was experiencing medical distress, according to the San Diego County Sheriff's Office. Deputies found him disoriented but responsive in the dayroom area and took him to the jail's medical clinic for evaluation.

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While at the clinic, the man experienced further medical distress, and medical staff and deputies began lifesaving measures, officials said. Paramedics and San Diego Fire-Rescue Department personnel took him to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead around 9:15 p.m.

The man's name was withheld pending family notification.

He had been in custody of the sheriff's office since Nov. 3, 2025, following an arrest by San Diego police. He was facing charges of assault with a deadly weapon, making criminal threats and resisting arrest.

The sheriff's Homicide Unit is investigating the death, as it does with all in-custody deaths. The Citizens' Law Enforcement Review Board was also notified.

The San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office will determine the cause and manner of death.