A Fontana man was pronounced dead at a hospital after suffering a medical emergency during the booking process at the West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga, officials disclosed. The San Bernardino County Sheriff-Coroner's Department issued a statement on July 6, 2022, revealing that Joel Valencia, a 30-year-old resident of Fontana, encountered serious health issues late Friday night after being arrested over a domestic disturbance by the Fontana Station deputies.
While undergoing intake at approximately 11:57 p.m., Valencia's behavior became erratic, a medical evaluation found his heart rate to be elevated and it was deemed he needed to be rushed to a medical facility according to the sheriff's department. Despite attempts by hospital personnel to administer lifesaving treatment on Saturday, Valencia's condition worsened, he turned combative, and he suffered a critical medical event before being pronounced dead, the precise nature of the medical event remains to be clarified pending an autopsy.
The Sheriff's Specialized Investigations Division has taken charge of the inquiry into the case which has been marked by authorities as an in-custody death. Details surrounding Valencia's demise have been sparse, but an autopsy is slated to ascertain the exact cause of death. In a release published by the San Bernardino County Sheriff-Coroner Department, Det. J. Rollins of the Specialized Investigations Division was listed as the referent on the case for anyone possessing potentially relevant information.
Members of the public with insights into the incident have been urged by officials to come forward and contact Detective Rollins at 909-890-4904; for those wishing to provide details anonymously, the department suggests reaching out to We-Tip at 1-800-78-CRIME (27463) or via their website at wetip.com, the investigation into this matter continues and the officials are determined to decipher the events that culminated in this unfortunate loss of life.
