A man awaiting trial died while in custody at Robert Presley Detention Center in Riverside on Tuesday, April 16, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department said.
Reynaldo Ramos, 55, of Riverside, had been booked April 6 on possession of illegal drugs for sales and for transportation, both felonies, according to county jail records.
Then just before 10 p.m. Tuesday, Ramos was found unresponsive in his cell. Jail deputies, medical staff and paramedics tried to resuscitate Ramos, but he died, a sheriff’s news release said. There were no signs of assault, the release said.
On Thursday, the Sheriff’s Department declined to answer questions about the death, including Ramos’ condition when he was booked, whether his condition deteriorated and whether evidence of illegal drug use was found.
State Attorney General Rob Bonta said in February 2023 that he is investigating whether the constitutional rights of inmates inside the county jail system were violated after a spate of deaths there in 2022. Sheriff Chad Bianco described the investigation as a “stunt” by Bonta.
Bianco attributed many of the deaths in 2022 to fentanyl overdoses. He said other causes included medical emergencies, suicide and homicides by other inmates.
