Second Riverside County inmate dies in custody in four days after prolonged illness – Foul play not suspected
BANNING, Calif., — Authorities this morning said an in-custody inmate passed away while being treated at a Riverside County hospital Sunday, May 1. The male inmate, whose name has not yet been released, was pronounced deceased yesterday after spending the last two weeks recovering from an unspecified illness as part of his incarceration at the Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility (SCF) in Banning.
Although this was the second in-custody inmate death to occur in the last few days, including a female inmate who was found deceased inside her jail cell while being housed at the Robert Presley Detention Center in Riverside last Thursday, officials in both cases have said that no foul play was suspected in either death.
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On Thursday, April 14, deputies assigned to SCR located an adult male inside a housing unit in need of medical attention, Riverside County Sheriff’s Correctional Captain Hal Reed reported this morning.
SCF medical staff determined the inmate needed to be transported to a local hospital for treatment and AMR personnel transported the man to a local hospital by ground ambulance, where he remained in custody until he passed away yesterday.
Although he was still being treated at a hospital when he passed away, due to the man being in custody at the time of his passing, investigators from the Sheriff’s Corrections Intelligence Bureau and the Riverside County Sheriff – Coroner’s Bureau began an investigation into the circumstances that led to his death.
“The inmate’s identity will not be released at this time, pending notification to the family,” Reed went on to say, adding, “There are no signs of foul play.”
SEE RELATED: Investigation underway after female inmate found dead inside Riverside County jail cell
Officials have not specified how long the man had been in custody, why he was in custody, or what type of illness or medical condition led to his need to be hospitalized and citing the ongoing investigation, Reed said no further information would be released at this time.
This is a developing story that will be updated as new information becomes available.
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Trevor Montgomery, 51, moved in 2017 to the Intermountain area of Shasta County from Riverside County and operates Riverside County News Source (RCNS) and Shasta County News Source (SCNS). Both are stringer organizations, providing breaking news coverage and community interest stories for other mainstream media organizations throughout the two regions they serve.
Additionally, he writes or has written for several other news organizations; including Riverside County based newspapers Valley News, Valley Chronicle, Anza Valley Outlook, and Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle; the Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County; and Mountain Echo in Shasta County. He is also a regular contributor to Thin Blue Line TV and Law Enforcement News Network and has had his stories featured on news stations throughout the Southern California and North State regions.
Trevor spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg, breaking his back, and suffering both spinal cord and brain injuries in an off-duty accident. (Click here to see segment of Discovery Channel documentary of Trevor’s accident.)
During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations; including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center, and Lake Elsinore Station; along with other locations.
Trevor’s assignments included Corrections, Patrol, DUI Enforcement, Boat and Personal Water-Craft based Lake Patrol, Off-Road Vehicle Enforcement, Problem Oriented Policing Team, and Personnel/Background Investigations. He finished his career while working as a Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Investigator and was a court-designated expert in child abuse and child sex-related crimes.
Trevor has been married for more than 30 years and was a foster parent to more than 60 children over 13 years. He is now an adoptive parent and his “fluid family” includes 13 children and 18 grandchildren.