Cause of death revealed for Salvadorean man who died in San Diego County jail

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) -- Authorities have revealed the cause of death for a man from El Salvador who died while in custody at a San Diego County jail.

On Sept. 23, 2024, Alfredo Hernandez, 66, was taken into the San Diego County Sheriff's custody after he was extradited from El Salvador.

Hernandez was extradited for a murder that took place in the Emerald Hills neighborhood of San Diego in 1991, which the San Diego Police Department investigated.

Police linked him to the death of 39-year-old Terri Bistodeau, a woman who was found strangled to death in her bedroom in the 5300 block of Geneva Avenue.

Authorities said Hernandez was taken to a local hospital on Nov. 15, 2024, after he started experiencing shortness of breath. He was later transferred to the ICU, the sheriff's office said.

On Nov. 26, before 9:15 a.m., sheriff's homicide investigators learned Hernandez had passed away in the hospital.

An autopsy by the San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office determined the cause of death was sepsis due to methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) pneumonia and the manner of his death was natural.

The sheriff's homicide unit is conducting an investigation to examine all aspects of Hernandez's death.

Both the Consulate General of El Salvador and the Citizens' Law Enforcement Review Board have been notified of the incident.