San Diego County Sheriffs cited the preliminary results Tuesday of a 38-year-old inmate who succumbed to blood clots in his lungs late Monday morning at the San Diego Central Jail.
Postmortem examinations of a former inmate, Jarrel Lacy, come after a state audit report found San Diego to have the highest number of excess deaths across all jail systems. The report found at least 185 deaths over 15 years in county jails.
According to the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department, Lacy’s death was "pulmonary thromboembolic disease due to deep venous thrombosis, or blood clots, of the lower extremities".
Lt. Chris Steffen said medical staff at the Front Street detention center evaluated Lacy late Monday morning for complaints of chest pain and shortness of breath, deciding that he should be transported to a hospital for further tests and treatment.
Lacy went into medical distress while awaiting an ambulance, according to Steffen. Deputies performed CPR.
Paramedics took Lacy to a trauma center where he was pronounced dead.
Lacy had been jailed since Aug. 9 on suspicion of auto theft, hit-and-run, grand theft, driving while intoxicated, resisting police, and probation violation.
