The mother of a boy in juvenile detention filed a wrongful death lawsuit after the 16-year-old died of a fentanyl overdose while in custody.

The Case: Brenda Arguelles v. County of San Diego

The Court: U.S. District Court, Southern District of California

The Case No.: 23-cv-0321-H-AGS

The Plaintiff: Brenda Arguelles v. County of San Diego

The plaintiff in the case, Brenda Arguelles, is the mother of a 16-year-old boy who died of a fentanyl overdose while in custody at a juvenile detention center in San Diego, California. Brenda Arguelles' son was a minor at the time of his death, so he is not named. The boy was set for release on September 26, 2021. However, before he could be released, there was an incident. On September 5, he was checked into the on-site clinic's emergency room amid allegations of fentanyl use and vomiting. According to the complaint, he was returned to his cell at the detention center the next day, and his mother was not notified of the incident. On September 7, the boy was known to have entered the cell of another detainee, a fentanyl dealer at the detention center. The boy was discovered dead of a fentanyl overdose the next morning. Ms. Arguelles filed the wrongful death lawsuit seeking answers and hoping to hold the County accountable for failing closely supervise her son while in their custody.

The Defendant: Brenda Arguelles v. County of San Diego

The defendant in the case, the County of San Diego, faces allegations that they failed in their duties to closely supervise the minor while he was in their custody. The child's mother also alleges that the detention center failed to protect the juvenile from buying/selling drugs and that his health was not adequately monitored and treated.

The Case: Brenda Arguelles v. County of San Diego

In addition to seeking answers and hoping to hold the individuals who failed to fulfill their duty to supervise her son and keep him safe while in the custody of the detention center, Arguelles' complaint alleged:

1) A lack of appropriate safety checks at the juvenile detention center (which may have been enough to save the 16-year-old's life).

2) The failure to prevent the trade/sale of fentanyl inside the detention center.

3) Poor maintenance of the boy's prescription medication and overall health while in the detention center, and a lack of communication regarding both with his mother.

4) General lack of communication; (the mother claims she received no response to multiple calls to the facility regarding her son).

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.