San Diego County Medical Examiner

MEDICAL EXAMINER RULES JAIL DEATH OF DIABETIC HOMICIDE, FAMILY PLANS LAWSUIT AGAINST COUNTY

By Miriam Raftery

September 21, 2024 (San Diego) – San Diego County’s Sheriff’s department has been under scrutiny for years over its high rate of jail deaths. Despite numerous reforms implemented by Sheriff Kelly Martinez that have reduced the overall number of prisoner deaths, yet another shocking death has sparked a lawsuit against the County—this time, a diabetic man who pleaded for insulin, as did fellow inmates on his behalf. His empty insulin pump beeped for nearly 24 hours before the man was found dead in his jail cell.

Keith Galen Bach, 62, of Chula Vista died in San Diego’s Central Jail a year ago, on Sept. 28. He was arrested Sept. 25 on charges of vandalism and making criminal threats. He was hospitalized briefly due to diabetic-related illness before being jailed; at the time of his arrest he had informed staff he would run out of insulin the next day, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.


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HOMELESS MAN ARRESTED IN SANTEE ON MISDEMEANORS DIES IN JAIL NEXT DAY

Death prompts investigations; sister seeks funds to pay for cremation
 
By Miriam Raftery
 
Photo: Richard Woodford with his sister, Brittney Lawley of San Carlos
 
July 2, 2024 (Santee) – Richard Woodford, 42, a 2020 Patrick Henry graduate who was reportedly homeless when arrested last week in Santee, died in the San Diego Central Jail a day later. 
 
The Sheriff’s department says the death is being investigated by its homicide unit, as well as the county’s Citizens' Law Enforcement Review Board. But an attorney suing the county over alleged lapses in care for persons in custody suggests that Woodford’s death may have been due to inadequate care during drug withdrawal.

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SHERIFF INVESTIGATING DEATH OF BABY LEFT IN CAR IN SANTEE

Update June 25, 2024 -- The victim has been identified as 2-month old Diana Sofia Aleman Roman. The preliminary investigation reveals she was left in the car around 3 p.m. and not found by a relative until around 12 midnight. Anyone with information about this incident is urged to call the Sheriff's Child Abuse Unit at (858) 285-6222. After hours, call the Sheriff's Department non-emergency line at (858) 868-3200.
 
East County News Service
 
June 19, 2024 (Santee) -- The Sheriff's Child Abuse Unit is investigating the death of a two-month-old baby in Santee who was left in a hot car.

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DRIVER SUFFERED MEDICAL EMERGENCY BEFORE DEADLY CRASH AT IN-KO-PAH

By Miriam Raftery
 
Photo California Scenery, Credit: Rebecca Person
 
January 16, 2021 (In-Ko-Pah) – Shortly after noon yesterday, California Highway Patrol units and fire personnel responded to a call requesting medical assistance on I-8 west near the Old Highway 80 undercrossing at In-Ko-Pah.
 
An investigation found that the driver, 54, from El Cajon appeared to have stopped his 2015 Volkswagen Passat on the shoulder after suffering an unknown medical condition. However, he failed to place the vehicle in park before taking his foot off the brake, says Officer Travis Garrow with the CHP. The vehicle drafted left across both freeway lanes into brush in the center media.
 
Passengers extricated the driver from the vehicle and attempted live-saving procedures. The vehicle caught brush on fire and the Volkswagen was soon fully engulfed.

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CAMPO MAN DIES AFTER CRASH NEAR LAKE MORENA

East County News Service
 
Image cc via Bing
 
December 16, 2020 (Campo) – Barney Stence, 60, of Campo, died December 14 in Sharp hospital of injuries sustained in a motor vehicle accident on December 9.
 
Stence was involved in a single-vehicle rollover crash at 1880 Lake Morena Drive in Campo, after losing control of his vehicle for unknown reasons. He was transported to the hospital with serious injuries, but his condition continued to decline until his death was pronounced on Monday, according to the San Diego County Medical Examiner.
 

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EL CAJON MAN DIES IN MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENT

 

By Miriam Raftery

April 19, 2014 (El Cajon) – Egon Karl Vanderlee, 52, of El Cajon has been identified by the San Diego County Medical Examiner as the victim who died in a fatal collision on April 11.  The accident occurred at the westbound State Route 94 transition to southbound State Route 15 at 5:25 p.m.


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