San Diego Central Jail

Inmate Who Died at San Diego Central Jail ID'd

Outside the San Diego Central Jail in downtown.
NBC 7

Authorities Thursday publicly identified a 31-year-old inmate who died of yet-to-be-determined causes last week at San Diego Central Jail.

Deputies found Chaz Villasenor of San Diego unconscious and slumped over a partition wall next to a toilet in a second-floor holding cell at the Front Street detention center shortly before 6 p.m. last Thursday, said Lt. Chris Steffen of the San Diego County Sheriff's Department.

Jail staffers and emergency personnel tried in vain to revive Villasenor before paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene.

There have been nine sheriff’s department in-custody deaths this year. NBC 7's Artie Ojeda has more.

The San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office conducted an autopsy in the case on Friday, but a cause-of-death ruling remains on hold pending laboratory results and "further evaluation," Steffen said.

Villasenor had been in custody since May 4, when he was arrested on suspicion of theft and violation of a restraining order.

Editor's note: SDSO identified the man in custody as Lionel Villasenor but later confirmed he goes by Chaz.

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