Man in custody at San Diego Central Jail dies at hospital, authorities say

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) -- A 55-year-old man who was in the custody of the San Diego County Sheriff's Office has died at a local hospital, authorities said Thursday.

According to SDSO, deputies were performing their routine duties at the San Diego Central Jail when they found the man unresponsive in his cell just before midnight on Wednesday.

Deputies immediately called 9-1-1, called for assistance from the facility's medical staff and began performing life-saving measures, the department said in a news release.

Paramedics and the San Diego Fire Department continued performing life-saving efforts when they arrived to the scene before the man was taken to a local hospital. However, the man was pronounced dead at the hospital around 1:15 a.m., authorities said.

According to SDSO, the man had been in their custody since Sept. 29 for public intoxication. His identity has been withheld pending family notification.

The Citizens' Law Enforcement Review Board has been notified of his passing. The incident is under investigation by the Sheriff's Homicide Unit.

"The San Diego Sheriff's Office extends our sympathies to the decedent's family and all those affected by his passing," SDSO stated in its news release. "A Sheriff's Family Liaison Officer will support the family as they navigate through this difficult time."

The cause and manner of the individual's death will be determined by the San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office.