Detainee dies in Riverside County Jail; The cause is unclear, but there are no signs of foul play

A man incarcerated at the Murrieta County Jail died Saturday afternoon, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department said, adding that the cause remains under investigation but there are no signs of foul play.

More:Riverside County inmate kills another, sheriff says; Jail deaths continue after 2022 violence

According to the sheriff’s department, deputies were called to an unresponsive man’s cell at the Quays Bird Detention Center at 4:15 p.m. Saturday. Jail medical staff immediately attempted life support, but American Medical Response officials pronounced him dead at 4:48 p.m.

The 31-year-old man’s identity has not been released and the coroner’s bureau will determine the cause of death.

Oversight of Riverside County’s jails is under scrutiny in 2022 after a record-breaking year. When 18 prisoners died, That’s the most of any year according to public data going back more than a decade. From 2005 to 2021, the county averaged about seven inmate deaths per year.

More:Death of Inmate at Riverside County Jail; The cause is unclear, but there are no signs of foul play

Last month, California Attorney General Rob Bonta said An investigation has been announced The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department cited a “disturbing” increase in deaths at the county jail, as well as allegations of excessive force and other misconduct.

Saturday’s incident is the third in-custody death reported by the sheriff’s department so far this year.

This article originally appeared in the Palm Springs Desert Sun: Death of Inmate at Riverside County Jail; No signs of foul play