Inmate dies at Riverside County jail; cause unclear, but no sign of foul play

Jonathan Horwitz, Palm Springs Desert Sun
·1 min read
The Cois M. Byrd Detention Center in Murrieta.
The Cois M. Byrd Detention Center in Murrieta.

An inmate died early Thursday morning at the Cois M. Byrd Detention Center in Murrieta.

The man's identity has not been released.

The Riverside County Sheriff's Department said in a statement there are no signs of foul play, but that "no further information is available at this time" due to an ongoing investigation.

Deputies at the detention center were called to the cell of an unresponsive inmate just before 4:30 a.m. Jail medical staff and Cal-Fire medics tried to help him, but he was pronounced dead at 5:08 a.m.

This is the ninth death in custody this year in the five county jails run by the sheriff, according to an unofficial count kept by The Desert Sun based on public records.

Jonathan Horwitz covers education for The Desert Sun. Reach him at jonathan.horwitz@desertsun.com or @Writes_Jonathan.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Inmate dies at Riverside County jail in Murrieta