Apple Valley man dies of illness while in sheriff's custody, 5th death in four months
An Apple Valley man, who became ill while in custody at the West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga, was transported to an area hospital where he was later pronounced dead, authorities said.
An in-custody death investigation continues after 57-year-old Gary Allen Victor died Monday at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center in Colton, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department reported
On Dec. 2, Victor was transported from the detention center to ARMC, where he was later admitted into the ICU for multiple health problems, including COVID-19, the sheriff’s report said.
Victor’s health gradually declined, and on Monday, he was pronounced deceased, sheriff’s officials said.
Investigators from the Sheriff’s Department’s Specialized Investigation Detail responded to the hospital, where they conducted interviews and collected medical records.
Victor was transported to the Sheriff-Coroner’s Division, where an autopsy will be performed. This incident is still under investigation, and no further information is currently available, the sheriff’s report said.
Other deaths
Victor is the 5th inmate to die after being held at the sheriff’s detention center for four months.
Other inmates who have died include Brian Alberts, 43, of Apple Valley, who was found deceased in his cell. Also, Isaiah Hernandez-Sanchez, 29, of Barstow, was on prescribed diabetes and mental illness medications.
Russell Garcia, 56, of Fontana, died in September after suffering a medical emergency.
Also, a 56-year-old man from San Bernardino, who became ill and was later pronounced deceased, sheriff’s officials said.
Hernandez's family members filed charges against the county and the detention center, alleging that inhumane conditions existed at the jail while Isaiah Hernandez was in custody.
The Hernandez allegation includes how the law-enforcement system killed Isaiah Hernandez-Sanchez by depriving him "of his rights guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution, including his right to adequate conditions of confinement and necessary medical care," according to a claim for damages that the family's attorney filed in San Bernardino County in October.
The family argues that county authorities knew — or at least, had a legal obligation to know — this alleged treatment "would result, and did result, in the loss of his life."
Daily Press reporter Rene Ray De La Cruz may be reached at 760-951-6227 or RDeLaCruz@VVDailyPress.com. Follow him on Instagram @RenegadeReporter and Twitter @DP_ReneDeLaCruz
This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Apple Valley man dies of illness while in sheriff's custody
