SAN DIEGO (KGTV) - Family members of those who have died inside San Diego county jails got their day in court this afternoon, they've filed suit, demanding changes before one more life is lost. The loved ones plead for immediate relief to address the policies and practices of what they call one of the deadliest systems in the state.
“Omar was not drunk or was he in public, Omar's death was 100 percent preventable,” Tammy Wilson's 33-year-old husband, Omar Moreno, lost his life while in custody. Tammy says she called 911 for mental health help but instead her husband was arrested for drinking in public. “Mental health crisis here in San Diego should not equal a death sentence,” says Tammy.
As for Sabrina Weddle, her 22-year-old brother Saxon Rodriguez died in custody a day before his court date and according to her from a drug overdose. “My brother’s death was preventable, all of these deaths were preventable. Five deaths in the last month, what are they doing?”
Yusef Miller, co-founder of North County Equity & Justice Coalition stands in support of the families. “We are in crisis in San Diego. San Diego has the highest in-custody deaths in the state!”
Earlier this year the state of California issued an audit that revealed there were 185 deaths in San Diego County custody from 2006 to 2020. “Last month we had 5 people die in custody, we are now outpacing our own predictions,” says Miller.
In response, several law firms including the ACLU of Southern California are filing a lawsuit against the county, the sheriff’s department, and others demanding reforms to prevent drug overdose, drugs getting into jail, and proper and immediate attention to mental health cases.
The San Diego County sheriff's department declined to comment on the case due to pending litigation and there hasn't been a final decision in this court case.
