Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco is in legal hot water yet again, as the family of a young woman who died by suicide while in custody has filed a wrongful death lawsuit. Alicia Upton, 21, took her life inside the Robert Presley Detention Center in Riverside, and the disturbing ordeal was captured on video, showing the inmate crafting a noose from bed sheets before hanging herself, the Press-Enterprise reports.
Despite the grim scene outlined in the lawsuit filed on December 31, Sheriff Bianco has dismissed claims of negligence, reportedly stating, "This is nothing more than someone wanting money." According to KTLA, Bianco said, "We’re still in the same place where there’s no personal accountability for anything — just sue the person with the deepest pockets." The lawsuit alleges that the jail staff did not properly monitor Upton, who was known to be at severe risk for self-harm.
Alicia Upton's death brought the number of in-custody deaths in Riverside County jails to 18 for the year 2022, the highest since 2005. Families of at least four other inmates have pursued legal action against the county over allegations of wrongful death. California's state Attorney General Rob Bonta has also opened an investigation into the department's practices, which has been openly criticized by Bianco as a "witch hunt" and a "stunt," KTLA mentions.
Upton had a troubled past, with Riverside County sheriff’s Sgt. Wendy Brito-Gonzalez said she was arrested for making criminal threats and then during booking stated, "I always kinda wanted to die." While initially placed in a safety cell due to her mental state, Upton was later moved to a cell that posed more risks with the availability of bed sheets and a bunk bed, where she stayed for four days. Despite displaying self-injurious behavior including cut marks on her arm, staff allegedly did not provide adequate supervision according to the lawsuit, as detailed by the Press-Enterprise.
The ACLU and various community groups have rallied against the Riverside County Sheriff's Department, demanding accountability for what they describe as "inhuman conditions" and excessive force by deputies. Amid these controversies, and with the state attorney general's probe ongoing, Bianco remains firm in his defense of his department, insisting they provide the best medical and mental health care possible for inmates. However, the mounting legal cases and public outcry paint a different picture of a system in distress, questioning how many more tragedies like Upton's must occur before substantial changes are made.
