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A man being held in minimum security at Santa Rita Jail after his arrest on suspicion of vehicle theft in San Leandro died at the Dublin facility last week, according to the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office.
Eric Johnson, who was found unresponsive in his cell on Feb. 8 within 28 hours of being booked into custody, is the first inmate to die at the jail in 2024, according to sheriff’s Capt. Tya Modeste.
Johnson, 53, whose last known address was in Oakland, was arrested by the San Leandro Police Department just before midnight on Feb. 6 and subsequently incarcerated at Santa Rita Jail starting just after 1:20 a.m. Feb. 7, according to Modeste. He was the sole occupant of a cell in “the minimum-security setting in the custodial reception center,” according to the captain.
The next morning, at around 5:15 a.m., Johnson was found unconscious in his cell by a deputy conducting an observation check, according to Modeste. “Deputies and custodial medical staff immediately performed lifesaving measures, but sadly, he did not regain consciousness and was pronounced deceased on-site at 5:30 a.m.,” she said.
Johnson’s cause of death remains unconfirmed and will be determined by the county’s medical examiner, according to Modeste.
The sheriff’s office notified the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office, and the department will submit a report on the in-custody death investigation to the California Attorney General’s Office in accordance with state law, according to Modeste.
“This is an ongoing investigation, and no further information is available at this time,” Modeste added.
