Man Dies at Santa Clara County’s Main Jail; 3rd Death Since August

The inmate could not be resuscitated and was pronounced dead at 11:04 a.m.

The man, whose name has not been released, was housed in an area with nurses on duty around the clock, said Sgt. James Jensen, a spokesman for the sheriff’s office.

Two of the deputies are out on bail and are expected to enter pleas next month. Detectives plan to interview witnesses, including nurses and inmates, at the jail to see “if anything suspicious” occurred, Jensen said.

Monday’s death remains under investigation, and Jensen says the sheriff’s office isn’t releasing additional details until the man’s family is notified.

The 33-year-old claimed he was also assaulted and was transported to a hospital to be evaluated, according to Hirokawa.

He was arrested again on September 20 by Milpitas police and booked into jail on suspicion of two counts of assault and battery, drunk in public and traffic violation warrant, Jensen said.

Since his death, sheriff Laurie Smith has subsequently implemented 40-hour mandatory training for new recruits to the corrections academy on how to better cope with mentally ill inmates.

Afterwards, custody staff followed department protocol to extract the inmate from his cell, according to Hirokawa. After the man was found, custody staff began CPR before paramedics arrived and took over. The man was released on September 19.

Staff fired two air-powered plastic projectiles a minute apart, which also had no effect on the inmate, according to Hirokawa.

Jereh Lubrin, 28, and Rafael Rodriguez, 27, had been held in Alameda County jail since their arrest September 3 on charges they killed inmate Michael Tyree and assaulted another prisoner.

Monday’s incident marks the sixth in-custody death this year compared to eight in all of 2014, Jensen said.

Jensen could not provide disclose the inmate’s medical history or mental state because of medical confidentiality laws.

Calls for comment from the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office and the defendants’ respective attorneys were not immediately returned Monday.

A month after an inmate’s fatal beating at Santa Clara County’s Main Jail, another inmate has been found dead.