Sheriff’s department responds to evidence release in 2019 inmate death case

Domenick Candelieri
·2 min read
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SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department responded to the federal district court’s April 5 decision to release evidence from a case involving the death of an inmate in 2019 at the Las Colinas Detention Facility.

Elisa Serna, 24, died at the detention facility on Nov. 11, 2019, five days after she was booked into jail. The county medical examiner determined she died from complications of chronic polysubstance abuse with a contributing factor of early intrauterine pregnancy.

“The video and other evidence in this case is disturbing and the actions of some staff on that day do not reflect the values of the Sheriff’s Department. Since becoming Sheriff last year, I have made substantial changes improving the conditions in our county’s jails. Those changes are ongoing, and I am committed to seeing them through,” San Diego County Sheriff Kelly Martinez said in a news release Wednesday.

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Danalee Pascua, a nurse at the Las Colinas Detention Facility, and Friederike Von Lintig, the physician overseeing the medical observation unit on the day she died, both were accused of negligence in Serna’s death. In February, Pascua was acquitted of involuntary manslaughter, while the jury did not reach a verdict on the charges against Von Lintig. It is unclear whether prosecutors will seek a retrial against the doctor.

During the trial, prosecutors argued the two failed to adequately treat Serna in the final hours of her life while she was experiencing seizures, vomiting and other symptoms of withdrawal. They said she was accused by the medical staff of faking her condition.

Martinez said the sheriff’s department “has ensured medical and mental health screenings are conducted for everyone during the intake process,” after the California State Auditor made recommendations focused on the health care needs of individuals in the jail on February 3, 2022.

“We have increased the Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) Program in our jails and now have over 600 individuals who are involved in the program,” Martinez added.

FOX 5/KUSI’s Danielle Dawson contributed to this story.

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