Second Inmate Death Reported In Riverside County: Coronavirus
RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — The Riverside County Sheriff's Department has reported a second inmate who tested positive for coronavirus has died.
Information about the man's death is scant. He was booked March 27 on suspicion of domestic violence, however the jail location was not provided by the sheriff's department.
On April 6, 2020, the inmate was transported to Riverside University Health System Medical Center in Moreno Valley, "where he received treatment for a pre-existing medical condition," according to the sheriff's department.
While at the hospital, he developed flu-like symptoms and a COVID-19 test was administered. On April 15, the test results showed the man was positive for the virus.
Thirteen days later, on April 28, the inmate died at the hospital "from what appears to be complications from his pre-existing medical condition possibly exasperated by COVID-19," the sheriff's department reported. "An exact cause of death has not yet been determined."
The inmate's identification has not been released pending notification of next of kin.
On Sunday, the sheriff's department announced that another man who had tested positive for the virus and was being held on bail at a county jail died. According to Sgt. Mark Wallace, the inmate died "from what appeared to be complications related to COVID-19," but added that an exact cause of death had not yet been determined.
The sheriff's department had not previously reported any inmate deaths from COVID-19.
Wallace said the inmate was being held at the Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility in Banning when he first displayed flu-like symptoms on April 13 and was immediately tested for the virus before being transferred to another housing unit where he could be more closely monitored by medical staff.
The following day, the inmate's test came back positive.
On Monday, correction officers became aware that the inmate's symptoms had worsened and notified medical staff, according to Wallace.
"Medical staff assessed the inmate, determined the inmate required further treatment at a hospital, and the inmate was transported by ambulance to an area hospital," Wallace said.
Sheriff's officials said the inmate died Sunday while hospitalized. His identity was not disclosed pending notification of his family.
The inmate had been behind bars since 2018 for an alleged burglary and arson and was being held in lieu of $1 million bail.
Sheriff's officials said there were no signs of foul play, but that the death investigation was ongoing.
—City News Service contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on the Banning-Beaumont Patch
