The death of a mentally ill inmate who succumbed to pneumonia, malnutrition and dehydration a year ago after falling ill at San Diego Central Jail has been ruled a homicide.
Authorities said Thursday that the death of Lonnie Newton Rupard stemmed from insufficient care while in custody, while also citing foul conditions in his cell, as reported by a psychiatrist who visited the inmate three days before his death.
Rupard, 46, was found unconscious in his cell at the Front Street detention center on March 17, 2022, according to the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department. Deputies and on-scene medical staffers performed CPR until paramedics took over, transporting Rupard to UCSD Medical Center, where doctors pronounced him dead shortly after arrival.
In addition to the three primary causes of death listed in an autopsy report dated Monday, the San Diego County Medical Examiner’s Office listed three other contributing factors to Rupard’s death – COVID-19, pulmonary emphysema and a duodenal ulcer.
The ruling on the manner of the death of Rupard – a diagnosed schizophrenic who was homeless when National City police arrested him for a parole violation in December 2021 – hinges on a finding that his jail caretakers fell short in safeguarding his health and well-being while he was in custody.
“Records document that care was made available to the decedent in the form of meals, continuous in-cell water supply, prescription medications to treat his psychiatric illness and medical evaluations; nevertheless, the ineffective delivery of that care ended with his death,” the document states.
“While elements of self-neglect were present, ultimately this decedent was dependent upon others for his care; therefore, the manner of death is classified as homicide,” the medical examiner’s office concluded.
In a prepared statement, sheriff’s officials outlined their efforts to determine whether any of their personnel contributed to Rupard’s death.
“Investigators are looking into the circumstances surrounding Mr. Rupard’s death to determine any violation of department policy and procedure,” according to the statement.
The Sheriff’s Internal Affairs Unit began an investigation into Rupard’s death in April 2022. The sheriff’s Homicide Unit is investigating as well and will submit the results to the District Attorney’s Office for review.
The department also will provide the findings to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for review by its Civil Rights Unit regarding any potential violations related to Rupard’s death.
According to the autopsy report, Rupard “was known to become violent when he was not on his (psychiatric) medications,” had been “in and out of jail” and had received treatment at Patton State Hospital, a forensic psychiatric medical facility in San Bernardino County.
In the months leading up to his death, Rupard repeatedly refused to take his prescribed anti-psychotic medications, according to the postmortem review.
He also was uncooperative and belligerent with jailers, who on one occasion in late January 2022 conducted an unspecified “use of force” on him, after which a nurse “noted a laceration between his eyebrows … a small abrasion on the left side of his face and some possible blood on his lips,” according to the report.
Despite his injuries, Rupard “repeatedly stated, `I don’t need a medic. Leave me alone. If you touch me, I’ll kill you,”‘ the documents states. “For safety reasons, the nurse was not able to further assess him.”
A March 24, 2022, mental-competency review documented that Rupard was seen three days prior to his death by a court-appointed doctor assigned to assess his fitness to stand trial.
“The psychiatrist noted the cell was dirty with trash throughout,” the autopsy report states. “The toilet was full of excrement, and the room was malodorous.”
During the consultation, according to the postmortem review, the doctor noted feces on the floor of Rupard’s cell and food “smeared on the walls,” and documented that he was “unkempt and dirty himself … (and) lying in bed in an uncomfortable manner with a blanket over his head.”
“The psychiatrist’s final opinion was that he suffered from severe mental illness and was not competent to stand trial,” according to the medical examiner’s report. “He recommended referral to a state hospital and that he be given antipsychotic medication involuntarily, as allowed by law.”
In their statement regarding the autopsy rulings, sheriff’s officials asserted that, since Rupard’s death, “several changes and advancements have been implemented within the Detention Services Bureau to help identify when a person in custody may need additional medical and mental health care.”
“These changes have helped staff recognize when a vulnerable individual may not be able to advocate for themselves and staff (members) need to intervene on their behalf,” according to the department.
– City News Service
Updated 4:55 p.m. March 2, 2023
