Inmate found dead in Santa Rita Jail cell

Miabelle Salzano
·1 min read

(KRON) — On Wednesday, 53-year-old Eric Johnson was arrested by San Leandro police for allegedly stealing a vehicle just before midnight on Tuesday. By Thursday, he was dead, Alameda County Sheriff’s officials said.

Johnson was booked into the Santa Rita Jail in Dublin around 1:23 a.m. Wednesday. He was assigned to a minimum-security section in the custodial Reception Center where he was in a cell by himself, officials said.

Around 5:15 a.m. Thursday, a deputy was conducting a routine observation check when the deputy found Johnson unresponsive in his cell. At 5:30 a.m., Johnson was pronounced dead on-site after medical personnel attempted life-saving measures, officials said.

Johnson’s cause of death is unknown and will be determined by the medical examiner’s office.

Police said Johnson’s next of kin has been notified. Johnson’s last known address was in Oakland, according to officials.

The investigation is ongoing.

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