Inmate Adrian Rios, 28, Died At East Los Angeles Station Jail

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA (November 12, 2023) – A 28-year-old man identified as Adrian Rios has tragically died in custody following a medical emergency at the East Los Angeles Station Jail.

Los Angeles County officials are saying that the incident began on May 2. Adrian Rios went into medical distress and was aided by medical staff.

The LA County Medical Examiner said that the inmate was being treated for the effects of “multiple drugs.” Despite life-saving measures, Adrian Rios was later pronounced dead.

A full investigation into the in-custody death remains ongoing at this time.

 

Liability For Los Angeles County In-Custody Deaths

Los Angeles has an unfortunately high rate of in-custody deaths. Many of these deaths involve drug overdoses. According to National Public Radio, “From 2001 to 2018, the number of people who have died of drug or alcohol intoxication in state prisons rose more than 600%, according to an analysis of newly-released data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics. In county jails, overdose deaths increased by more than 200%.” Jails should take a number of measures in order to prevent overdose deaths.

• Jails should be well stocked with Narcan, which can be used to reverse the effects of an overdose.
• Jails should have well-trained medical staff and correctional officers.
• Jail officials should be trained to recognize the signs of an overdose.
• Jails should do everything in their power to prevent dangerous drugs such as fentanyl from entering the prison system.

All jails have a legal obligation to provide inmates with healthcare for their medical needs. This includes instances where an inmate is suffering from an acute health crisis due to drug toxicity. Failing to treat an inmate going through an overdose or withdrawal can have lethal consequences. If a jail is deliberately indifferent to the serious medical needs of an inmate, this could form the basis of a constitutional claim. There are several types of drugs involved in the vast majority of overdose deaths.

• Fentanyl
• Prescription pain relievers
• Heroin
• Cocaine
• Methamphetamine

Deaths due to drug toxicity can occur in many different ways. An inmate may have taken illicit substances prior to their incarceration. In some instances, medical staff may accidentally poison inmates with a dangerous cocktail of drugs. It is important to determine what may have caused an inmate to die from drug toxicity. The family of any inmate that died in custody may have legal recourse through a constitutional claim. A civil rights attorney can examine all of the unique facts of your case and let you know if any death was due to medical neglect.

 

Investigating Los Angeles County Inmate Deaths

We at the Sehat Law Firm extend our deepest condolences to the family of Adrian Rios. Any person that may have more information about what happened should reach out to investigators. It is our sincere hope that steps are taken to prevent other tragedies like this.

Do you need more information about a Los Angeles County inmate death? Our team of civil rights attorneys are here to help in any way that we can. We have decades of experience helping people who have been harmed by the unconstitutional actions of jail officials.  Whether you just have legal questions or need a free, independent investigation into any in-custody death we are here for you. You can reach out to us anytime at (949) 825-5200.