A 46-year-old man died Saturday morning at the Vista jail after going into medical distress, the Sheriff’s Office said. He is at least the ninth person to die in San Diego County custody this year.
The man’s name was not released as authorities tried to locate and notify his family.
Sheriff’s officials said they believed the man lived in Escondido when he was arrested on a felony warrant and jailed Nov. 25. The warrant called for his arrest on suspicion of bringing controlled substances into a jail or prison.
The Sheriff’s Office said that the man told deputies Tuesday he was suffering from flu-like symptoms, that medical staffers saw him and ordered tests, and that he was placed in medical isolation, both to watch him and to prevent the potential spread of an illness.
Around 8 a.m. Saturday — four days after the man reported being sick — deputies making their weekly hygiene inspection saw him sitting on the floor of his cell. Officials said he was breathing but not responding to deputies.
About 10 minutes later, two medication-assisted treatment deputies and a nurse arrived at the cell, with the nurse checking his vital signs and offering medicine.
As the nurse talked to him, he began to have difficulty breathing and went into medical distress, and then medical staffers provided emergency medical aid until Vista Fire Department medics arrived and took over, officials said.
“Despite all efforts to save him, the male succumbed and unfortunately passed away,” the Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.
A representative of the Citizens’ Law Enforcement Review Board was notified of the death. The sheriff’s homicide unit is investigating, which is protocol for all in-custody deaths.
The Medical Examiner’s Office will try to determine the cause and manner of the man’s death.
At least eight other people have died in custody in local jails this year, down from a high of 19 deaths two years ago. Last year, 13 people died in custody.
State data shows that between 2019 and 2023, San Diego County recorded an average of 3.6 deaths annually per 1,000 incarcerated people — the highest rate among California’s eight most populous counties.
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