O.C. jail inmate who had been in distress is taken to hospital, later dies

An inmate who had been arrested by La Habra Police on suspicion of robbery in 2018 died in a hospital while in custody of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department early Sunday, Sept. 1.

The man who died was held at the Theo Lacy Jail in  Orange and was reported to be “in distress” the night before he died, Orange County Sheriff’s Department officials said in a news release. Deputies and medical staff responded to his cell at 8:20 p.m. Saturday. They attempted life-saving measures before he was transported to a nearby hospital.

The inmate, who was 22 years old, was pronounced dead at 1:36 a.m., OCSD officials said. His name was not immediately released.

There were no external signs of trauma found on the body of man who died, OCSD officials said.  An autopsy will be conducted by an independent forensic pathologist to determine his cause of death. The case will be investigated by the Orange County District Attorney’s Office.