Inmate dies after medical emergency at Rio Cosumnes jail, Sacramento sheriff says

A 57-year-old inmate died Sunday after suffering a medical emergency at the Rio Cosumnes Correctional Center near Elk Grove, according to the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office.

The incident occurred about 2 p.m. in an open housing pod, the Sheriff’s Office said, where other inmates alerted deputies that the man was having a seizure.

Deputies found the inmate unresponsive on his bunk and began CPR as jail medical staff responded. The Sheriff’s Office said the man regained a pulse and was taken to a hospital.

“Despite continued lifesaving efforts at the hospital, the inmate was pronounced deceased later the same evening,” spokesman Sgt. Ed Igoe said.

Authorities said in a news release Monday morning that the death is believed to be due to medical complications, and no foul play was suspected.

The man had been in custody since Nov. 5, 2025, on multiple felony charges involving sexual offenses against minors. Bail was set at $1 million.

The Sheriff’s Office said it would conduct an in-custody death investigation. The Sacramento County Coroner’s Office, which will determine the official cause of death, was expected to release the man’s name once next of kin are notified.

The death comes two months after another inmate suffered a similar medical emergency at the Sacramento County Main Jail, also operated by the Sheriff’s Office. Eric Lee Rosenberg, 40, who deputies said suffered a seizure at the downtown facility, died following surgery Feb. 8.

It was the third in-custody death reported this year at a sheriff’s jail facility. A 62-year-old man died Jan. 14 after suffering a medical emergency inside the facility, authorities previously said. That inmate was later identified by the Coroner’s Office as Donnell Cox; medical examiners deemed his death was by natural causes.

It was also the first death at the Elk Grove-area facility since a man collapsed in RCCC’s medical corridor in November 2024. Hossein Assem, 72, died of natural causes, according to the Coroner’s Office.

Since January 2021, at least 45 people have died while in custody at the Main Jail or RCCC, according to data compiled by The Sacramento Bee.