Did a Lack of Proper Safety Checks Result in a Pre-Trial Inmate’s Death?
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The County of Orange is facing wrongful death allegations after OCSD deputies allegedly failed to conduct proper safety checks of a mentally ill inmate.
The Case: Lucio v. County of Orange
The Court: United States District Court-Central District of California
The Case No.: 8:24 cv- 00359
The Plaintiffs: Lucio v. County of Orange
The plaintiffs in the case are the family of Ronald Garcia Lucio, Jr, who died while in custody at the Santa Ana County Jail. According to Lucio’s children and parent, Lucio was a pre-trial inmate who suffered from mental illness. The wrongful death lawsuit claims Lucio died while being housed in Orange County Central Jail due to a lack of proper safety checks for a mentally ill patient/inmate.
The Incident: Lucio v. County of Orange
According to the court records, on March 18, 2022, Lucio received his evening meal in his Orange County Central Jail cell at 3:20 pm. At 7:12 pm, the OCSD Deputy entered Lucio’s cell with a vocational nurse to conduct a well check. The deputy observed Lucio lying in the lower bunk on his right side and made a “man down” call once the radio that resulted in additional deputies and medical staff reporting for assistance. At 7:14 pm, the deputies moved Luxio from the bottom bunk in his cell to the dayroom floor outside his cell, where the medical staff began cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA) arrived and took over Lucio’s treatment at 7:27 pm. Upon arrival, the paramedics found Lucio pulseless and noted he was exhibiting the onset of rigor mortis. OCFA personnel pronounced Lucio dead at 7:30 pm.
The Case: Lucio v. County of Orange
The case, Lucio v. County of Orange, claims that deputies and Orange County Central Jail medical staff failed to provide proper safety checks that could have prevented the death of Lucio, a pre-trial inmate who suffered from mental illness.
If you have questions about how to file a California wrongful death lawsuit, please get in touch with Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik DeBlouw LLP. Experienced wrongful death attorneys are ready to assist you in various law firm offices in San Diego, San Francisco, Sacramento, Los Angeles, Riverside, and Chicago.
