The halls of the George Bailey Detention Facility in San Diego echoed with a somber tone as 38-year-old Majid Arif Almajid was found lifeless in his cell on Monday. Efforts by deputies and jail medical staff, followed by paramedics from CAL FIRE, fell short as they were unable to resuscitate Almajid, who was found unresponsive at around 11:15 AM. His death subsequently triggered an investigation by the Sheriff's Homicide Unit, which is protocol for all in-custody deaths.
The San Diego Sheriff's Department expressed its condolences for Almajid's family, stating, "The San Diego Sheriff's Department extends our sympathies to the Almajid family and those affected by his passing," as reported by the San Diego County Sheriff's Office. They provided a Sheriff's Family Liaison Officer to the bereaved family, Almajid had been in custody since December 20, 2023, facing several counts of sexual intercourse or sodomy with a child 10 years or younger, alongside several counts of oral copulation or sexual penetration with a child 10 years or younger before his transfer to the George Bailey Detention Facility on December 26, 2023.
An autopsy conducted by the Medical Examiner's Office revealed that Almajid's cause of death was due to pulmonary infarcts of uncertain etiology, with a contributing factor being the combined toxic effects of fentanyl and trazodone, and the manner of death was accidental. The investigation into the systemic conditions that may have contributed to Almajid's death, including whether drugs infiltrated the jail's defenses, is expected to be under the scrutiny of the Citizens' Law Enforcement Review Board (CLERB), as mentioned in a piece by Hoodline.
