The San Mateo County Sheriff's Office has reported that an incarcerated individual, identified as 23-year-old Anthony C. Harding, died of natural causes at the Maguire Correctional Facility in January, based on findings from independent investigations. The Coroner's Office concluded that Harding had experienced a fatal seizure due to complications from opioid withdrawal, with fentanyl abuse noted as a contributing factor, according to the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office.
Harding's death occurred during a routine medical check on January 14 when a nurse noticed he was having trouble breathing. Immediate medical intervention was provided, but despite the efforts of both medical staff and emergency responders from the Redwood City Fire Department and American Medical Response (AMR), Harding did not survive.
Following his death, independent investigations were launched by the San Mateo County District Attorney's Office, the Coroner's Office, and the Sheriff's Investigations Bureau, as is the protocol, to examine the circumstances. The results of these investigations appear to absolve the correctional facility of any wrongdoing, instead pinpointing Harding's medical issues as the cause of death.
