The Coroner's Bureau is investigating the cause of death of a male inmate who was found unresponsive in his cell at Cois Byrd Detention Center on Tuesday morning and failed to respond to life-saving measures administered by staff. The Riverside County Sheriff's Department is investigating the incident.
"On Tuesday, deputies assigned to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department Cois Byrd Detention Center in Murrieta were called to the cell of an unresponsive male inmate," Sheriff's Department Correctional Capt. David Holm said in a department news release.
Holm described how staff members worked to resuscitate the inmate.
"Custody staff and jail medical staff immediately administered life-saving measures," Holm said. "Cal-Fire personnel also responded to assist. Despite these efforts, the inmate was pronounced deceased at 8:58 a.m."
The name of the inmate was not released pending notification of the family.
Although the cause of death was not immediately known, the Sheriff's Department said no signs of foul play were evident. Due to the ongoing nature of the investigation, the department did not expand upon its report.
Anyone with information regarding this incident is encouraged to call Investigator Hollingsworth at (951) 795-9216 or Investigator Williams at (951) 696-3452.
A similar situation occurred in the county's correctional system late last month, according to the Sheriff's Department. A female inmate at Robert Presley Detention Center in Riverside was found unresponsive in her cell. Despite attempted life-saving measures, she was ultimately pronounced deceased at 9:12 p.m.; no signs of foul play were found.