San Diego — 35-year-old Steven Curren died in custody of the San Diego Central Jail after being discovered unresponsive in his cell on August 30, 2025. He had been in custody for just over a day.
Incident Details
At around 3:08 p.m., fellow inmates alerted deputies that Curren appeared to be in medical distress. Deputies found him unresponsive and called 9-1-1, alerted the jail’s medical staff, and began administering CPR. Paramedics and the San Diego Fire Department assumed life-saving efforts and transported Curren to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead at about 4:31 p.m.
San Diego’s Sheriff’s Homicide Unit is handling the internal investigation, while the Medical Examiner’s Office will determine the cause and manner of death. The Citizens’ Law Enforcement Review Board (CLERB) has also been notified in accordance with protocols for in-custody fatalities.
Legal Considerations & Inmate Health Rights
Pretrial detainees are protected under the Fourteenth Amendment, which prohibits “deliberate indifference” to serious medical needs. Authorities must conduct timely health screenings and respond promptly to emergent conditions.
This case warrants examination of several critical factors:
- Were intake protocols adequate in assessing medical risks?
- Was the emergency response timely and appropriate?
- Did deputies initiate proper monitoring procedures once medical distress was noted?
If the jail failed to meet these standards, it could give rise to a civil rights claim under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 for inadequate medical care.
Context: In-Custody Death Patterns in San Diego
San Diego County jails have a documented history of in-custody fatalities, sometimes occurring within days of arrest. Data compiled by oversight bodies like CLERB and investigations by independent journalists have highlighted systemic failures in medical care and supervision.
Seeking Accountability for In-Custody Deaths
How can our firm assist with an investigation? Should you decide to consult with our firm, our investigation typically includes some or all the following investigative activities
- obtaining and reviewing medical records, autopsy reports and blood toxicology screening reports
- requesting a Public Records Request Act for documents and evidence for locating and interviewing critical witnesses to an incident
- subpoenaing third party entities if our firm is retained and a lawsuit is initiated
- securing surveillance video evidence, and at minimum, placing the jail entity on notice to preserve potential video and tangible evidence of an incident.
- hiring private investigators who can help track down witnesses and/or obtain further evidence to help your case.
What should I know if I want to file a wrongful death lawsuit?
Contact our experienced Civil Rights lawyers so we can analyze all your options and hear the specifics of your case. We will also assess your loved one’s history with the jail facility they were treated at. Having as much documentation and physical evidence as possible will help prove your wrongful death case so our attorneys can examine them and help bring you and your loved one justice.
If you or a loved one has been impacted by police misconduct or an in-custody incident such as this one involving Steven Curren, contact The Sehat Law Firm at (949) 825-5200 for a free consultation, or complete the form at the bottom of this page to discuss your case with our legal team.
Legal Disclaimer
This article provides general information only and should not be considered legal or medical advice, nor does it create an attorney-client relationship. Laws vary, and any referenced here may not apply to your situation. This article was created from secondary sources and may not be completely accurate. If you have any concerns, please contact us, and we’ll update or remove the post as needed.
