Vista Jail Inmate Suffers Medical Crisis, Dies In Hospital

SAN DIEGO, CA — The San Diego County Sheriff's Department is investigating Wednesday the death of an inmate who suffered a medical emergency at Vista Detention Facility and died a day later in a hospital.

Deputies conducting a safety check inside a housing unit at the South Melrose Drive jail found the 53-year-old man suffering from an unknown type of ailment at about 7:30 a.m. Sunday, according to the San Diego County Sheriff's Department.

Paramedics took him to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead Monday evening.

"The man's name is not being released at this time because we are actively trying to locate and notify his family," sheriff's Lt. Scott Roller said Tuesday.

The inmate, who is believed to have been homeless at the time of his arrest, had been jailed Saturday on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon.

A ruling on his cause of death was on hold pending completion of postmortem examinations.
Custody deaths have been an issue in San Diego County in recent years. A 2019 report by the San Diego Union-Tribune found that San Diego County's rate of inmate death was higher than that of other large counties in California.

A state audit in 2022 found that officials had not adequately prevented or responded to deaths in custody. The county had 19 custody deaths that year.

— City News Service