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Mother says victim had hole in her stomach and underwent surgery before dying
By Miriam Raftery
July 20, 2023 (Santee) – An autopsy has determined that 25-year-old Vianna Marissa “Vee” Granillo died of septic shock after being transferred to a hospital from the Las Colinas detention facility in Santee.
Septic shock is a life-threatening condition that occurs when a person’s blood pressure drops dangerously low due to an infection. Treatments at a hospital may include oxygen therapy, IV fluids,medication, antibiotics, or surgery, according to the National Institute of Health.
Granillo had been arrested by Sheriff’s deputies on July 8 for violation of a court order and was transferred from the Vista detention facility to Las Colinas that evening. Shortly before 2 a.m.on July 12, deputies conducting a safety check found her unresponsive in her cell, according to Lieutenant Chris Steffen.
Several doses of Narcan, a drug used for suspected overdoses, were administered by deputies and medical staff, life-saving measures were initiated. Paramedics trasnported her to a hospital, but her health declined and she was pronounced dead onJuly 13 shortly before 3 a.m.
Diana Sanchez, mother of Vianna Granillo, posted additional details on a GoFundMe page to help with funeral expenses. According to Sanchez,Granillo was taken to Grossmont Hospital. Sanchez wrote, “My daughter had a hole in her stomach and needed surgery upon arriving to the hospital. Although I was told she would not make it through the surgery because she was so sick she made it through however her heart gave up it was getting weak and her blood pressure was going down. Vee fought the good fight, but it was ultimately her time to pass away and be in heaven,” said Granillo, before the autopsy results were known.
The Medical Examiner listed the death as from natural causes, though it is unclear whether Granillo was found unconscious due to septic shock or whether the infection occurred after she was hospitalized. It is also unclear whether an infection had been diagnosed or treated prior to her collapsing in her cell at Las Colinas.
Sanchez recalls her daughter as “the most vibrant, eccentric, beautiful, loving caring and sweet lady,” despite battling addiction. “My daughter would give you the shirt off her back, or the last dollar in her pocket just to help someone out.” She added that her daughter “will always live in our hearts and we will keep her name and her smile alive...I will promise you baby girl that I will see Justice for your wrongful death."
The Citizens’ Law Enforcement Review Board was notified of the death and is conducting an investigation, as is the Sheriff's homicide unit, which is customary with all deaths that occur in custody or in people who die after being transferred from detention to a hospital.
San Diego County has the highest rate of deaths in custody of any major county in San Diego for the past several years under multiple Sheriffs, despite numerous steps taken aimed at reducing the number of deaths.
Services are planned for Tuesday, August 16 at 2 p.m. at Saint Francis Catholic Church in Vista, with burial scheduled for Wednesday, August 17 at 11:30 a.m. a Oak Hill Cemetery in Escondido.
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The death of Vianna Marissa “Vee” Granvillo!
We mourn the death of Vianna Granillo at the Las Colima's Detention a Facility in Santee, where when I was the President of the Bethel A.M.E. Prison Ministry in San Diego, I once coordinated an event there for the female inmates, along with the San Diego County Re-Entry Roundtable. She will be missed.