Inmate found dead at Elmwood Correctional Facility in Milpitas
MILPITAS, Calif. - A 58-year-old man was found dead in his cell at the Elmwood Correctional Facility in Milpitas early Thursday morning, and investigators are working to determine his cause of death, including if the COVID-19 coronavirus was a factor, Santa Clara County sheriff's officials said.
The man, whose name is not yet being released, was booked into the county Main Jail on Monday for a violation of a court order and drug charges.
At 5:22 a.m. Thursday, deputies at the Elmwood jail responded to a report of an ill inmate, and found the man unresponsive and not breathing. He was pronounced dead at 5:38 a.m., according to the sheriff's office.
The county sheriff's office, district attorney's office and medical examiner's office are conducting a joint investigation into the inmate death, including whether COVID-19 played a role.