Inmate Undergoing Mental Health Evaluations Found Dead In Riverside County Jail

BANNING, CA — A Riverside County inmate from Menifee — who had been undergoing mental health evaluations — was found dead inside his jail cell early Monday morning.

Quadir Boykin, 46, was pronounced deceased shortly after 12:40 a.m. at the Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility in Banning, according to the Riverside County Sheriff's Department. Boykin was in housing unit 16, in the jail's Day Room D, according to the county coroner.

There were no signs of foul play, the sheriff's department reported. The coroner will determine Boykin's manner and cause of death.

Boykin had a long criminal history in Riverside County. The latest charges against him stem from a June 7, 2025, fire in which Boykin was accused of setting. Court records show Boykin was charged with arson and other crimes and pleaded not guilty.

Boykin, who remained behind bars following his arrest, was undergoing a mental health evaluation as part of his case. A Dec. 17 court hearing regarding the evaluation was vacated, and the return of a doctor's report was scheduled for Jan. 15.

The June incident wasn't Boykin's first run-in with the law. In March, he was charged with felony petty theft with prior convictions, and he pleaded not guilty. That case was also pending at the time of his death.

In March 2018, Boykin was convicted of second-degree robbery and sentenced to four years in state prison. Prior, in July 2011, Boykin was found guilty of felony burglary and sentenced to 973 days in state prison. He also served separate sentences for felony vandalism, and he was convicted of several misdemeanor crimes.

In a request for comment on the circumstances of Boykin's death, Sgt. Robert Martinez responded in an email, "Unfortunately, there is no additional information available as this investigation is ongoing."

A series of reports and investigations made public in 2024 revealed that Riverside County's jails were among the deadliest. On Dec. 5, the First Amendment Coalition filed a lawsuit against Riverside County for refusing to release public records and information about inmate deaths. Desert Sun investigative journalist Christopher Damien had sought the data.

"When people die in the government’s custody, their relatives and the public have the right to review the government’s investigation of that death," Damien said. "The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department has withheld details about these investigations for far too long. California law is clear: These are public records."