A 34-year-old man jailed since May on sexual assault-related charges has been identified as the inmate who died in an apparent suicide at the George Bailey Detention Facility in Otay Mesa last week. Brian Andrew Holmes was found hanging in his solo-occupancy cell during a routine security check shortly before 3:30 p.m. on Oct. 8, and he died at the scene despite lifesaving attempts.
Authorities identified Holmes as the man who died at the facility, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune, which cited the Sheriff's Office account of the discovery. A sheriff's deputy came across Holmes during the security check and found him hanging in his cell, the paper reported, and he was pronounced dead on scene after rescue efforts failed.
Holmes had been in custody since May on sexual assault-related charges, with a court appearance scheduled for this month, the paper reported. His death has been characterized as an apparent suicide in the newspaper's report.
A Facility With a Lower Death Toll Than San Diego's Central Jail
George Bailey's death count is notable in the context of a broader countywide review. An independent report commissioned by the county's Citizens' Law Enforcement Review Board and examined by the Times of San Diego found that 91 inmates died at the downtown San Diego Central Jail between Dec. 27, 2011, and April 2, 2024 — accounting for half of all local jail deaths recorded in that span. George Bailey, by comparison, recorded 25 deaths during that same 12-year period.
The outlet's report also noted that George Bailey has a capacity of 1,380 people, nearly 50% more than the Central Jail's 945, despite its comparatively lower death toll. The same report found that suicides were more likely to occur within the first two days after booking, and the Sheriff's Office told the outlet that overdoses across county jails fell by 65% between 2024 and 2025.
Other In-Custody Deaths Under Review
Other In-Custody Deaths Under Review A 34-year-old man in custody at the San Diego Central Jail was transported to a hospital following an apparent self-inflicted hanging on March 8, 2026. The California Board of State and Community Corrections, whose In-Custody Death Review Division examines jail fatalities statewide, says its mission is to understand the causes of deaths in custody in order to prevent and reduce them across local detention facilities.
