Inmate in medical unit at Rio Cosumnes jail dies, Sacramento sheriff says

An inmate housed in the medical unit at the Rio Cosumnes Correctional Center near Elk Grove died early Tuesday after deputies found the person unresponsive in a cell, according to the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies discovered the inmate shortly before 4 a.m. inside the jail’s Medical Housing Unit, where the inmate had been housed alone because of ongoing medical issues, deputies said in a news release Tuesday evening.

“The inmate was housed in a cell, alone, that was equipped with a camera for (Adult Correctional Health) to monitor,” the Sheriff’s Office said.

Deputies performed CPR on the inmate, who was not identified, and requested assistance from Adult Correctional Health staff and the Cosumnes Community Service District Fire Department.

“Despite continued life-saving efforts by staff, the inmate was pronounced deceased once the Fire Department arrived on scene,” deputies said.

The Sheriff’s Office said homicide detectives did not suspect foul play in the death, though an investigation remained ongoing.

Authorities said the inmate had been in custody since April 10, 2024, while awaiting trial on charges of robbery, criminal threats, brandishing a weapon and petty theft. The inmate also had been placed on a state hospital hold while the courts determined competency to stand trial.

The Sacramento County Coroner’s Office will determine the cause of death and release the inmate’s identity after next of kin are notified.

“The Sheriff’s Office will complete a thorough inmate death investigation in accordance with department procedures and state laws,” deputies said in the announcement.

The death was the fourth reported at a Sacramento County jail facility in 2026 and the second this year at Rio Cosumnes Correctional Center.

On April 5, a 57-year-old inmate died after suffering a medical emergency inside an open housing pod at Rio Cosumnes Correctional Center. Other inmates alerted deputies that the man — identified as Jose Cruz Quinonez Palomares — was having a seizure, and he later died at a hospital despite lifesaving efforts.

The Sacramento County Coroner’s Office determined Quinonez Palomares died of cardiovascular disease, with obesity listed as a significant contributing condition. The Sheriff’s Office’s in-custody death investigation remains open.

Tuesday’s death also marked at least the 46th person to die while in custody at the Sacramento County Main Jail or RCCC since January 2021, according to data compiled by The Sacramento Bee.