SD Central Jail Inmate Dies In Custody; 7th In-Custody Death Of 2022

SAN DIEGO, CA — A 38-year-old man died in custody on Monday, marking the seventh death of an inmate in San Diego County jail system this year, according to multiple reports.

The man, who was not identified, was examined by medical staff at the San Diego Central Jail around 11 a.m. after experiencing chest pain and shortness of breath, the San Diego County Sheriff's Department said in a news release.

"Jail medical staff determined the adult male needed to be transported to the hospital, for further evaluation," said sheriff's Lt. Chris Steffen. "While the incarcerated male was pending transfer to the hospital via 911, he went into medical distress."

He was pronounced dead at a hospital after deputies attempted CPR.

The man's name was withheld pending notification of his next of kin, and his cause of death was not immediately known.

The sheriff's homicide unit is expected to investigate the death.

The death is the seventh reported within the San Diego County jail system this year, the San Diego Union Tribune reported. The system is operated by the county Sheriff's Department.

From 2006 through 2020, 185 people have died in San Diego County jails — one of the highest totals in California, according to a February report from Michael S. Tilden, California's acting state auditor.

The high rate of deaths in San Diego jails compared to other counties raised concerns about "underlying systemic issues" with the Sheriff's Department's policies and practices, Tilden wrote in February.

The report identified "deficiencies with how the Sheriff’s Department provides care for and protects incarcerated individuals, which likely contributed to in‑custody deaths. These deficiencies related to its provision of medical and mental health care and its performance of visual checks to ensure the safety and health of individuals in its custody."

Tilden said the Sheriff's Department has not taken meaningful action when deaths have occurred.

City News Service contributed to this report.