East County News Service

August 31, 2025 (San Diego)—A 35-year-old man arrested Aug. 29 was found unresponsive in his cell yesterday afternoon at San Diego Central Jail and later died at a hospital.  He was the seventh person to die in custody this year in a San Diego County detention facility.

According to the Sheriff’s department, several incarcerated persons in the jail notified deputies at 3:08 p.m. that the victim was in medical distress. Deputies found the man unresponsive in his cell and called 9-1-1. They requested additional help from the facility’s medical staff and began life-saving measures.

Paramedics and the San Diego Fire Department assumed lifesaving measures upon their arrival and the man was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced deceased at about 4:31 p.m.

The man had been in Sheriff's custody since August 29 and was facing charges for vehicle theft and possession of stolen property.

Like the other six in-custody deaths this year, the deceased was awaiting trial and had not been convicted when he died.

East County News Service

January 17, 2024 (San Diego)—Brandon Andrew Yates, 24, died in custody yesterday at San Diego County Jail. Deputies conducting a safety check found him unresponsive and displaying signs of distress around 1:36 p.m.

By Miriam Raftery

February 9, 2022 (San Diego) – Last week, the California State Auditor affirmed that over 185 people have died in San Diego County jails from 2006-2020. Today, the People’s Association of Justice Advocates (PAJ) called for a racial breakdown of those deaths as well as data on how many of those who died ever came before a judge.