An incident at the Vista Detention Facility has left a 46-year-old man from Escondido dead, sparking an investigation by the San Diego Sheriff's Office. The deceased, identified as Bobby Ray Patton, was found unresponsive in his cell last Saturday. According to a press release by the San Diego Sheriff's Office, Patton had been isolated for flu-like symptoms since December 24 but later experienced severe respiratory distress, which led to his death.
Upon their weekly hygiene inspection around 8:00 a.m., deputies observed Patton sitting on the floor, breathing but not responding. Within the ten minutes that passed before he received medical attention, Patton's condition deteriorated. In a statement obtained by San Diego Sheriff's Office, the nurse checked his vitals and offered medication, however, it was during this interaction that Patton began to struggle to breathe, and despite immediate emergency medical aid efforts, he did not survive. Patton was in custody since November 25, on a felony warrant related to carrying controlled substances into a jail.
The Sheriff's Homicide Unit is leading the ongoing investigation into Patton's death, which is standard protocol for any in-custody fatalities. The Hoodline report states that the Medical Examiner's Office conducted an autopsy on December 30, but the cause and manner of death remain undetermined from the initial findings. A Family Liaison Officer has been appointed to support Patton's family through their loss.
The case has also been notified to the Citizen's Law Enforcement Review Board (CLERB) as per procedure. The investigation's outcome is pending, with both the Sheriff's Office and medical authorities needing to dive deep into the circumstances surrounding Patton's death. The situation has drawn a degree of scrutiny, as the deceased had allegedly showed signs of severe respiratory distress when deputies performing hygiene inspections found the inmate sitting on the floor, according to the Sheriff's Office.
