Inmate dies at Contra Costa County jail

An investigation is underway tonight into the death of a 61-year-old inmate Saturday at the Contra Costa County Jail in Martinez, a Sheriff’s Office spokesman said tonight in a news release.

The male victim, whose name was not released tonight, was discovered about 2:50 p.m. today by a sheriff’s deputy conducting a room check at the Martinez Detention Facility near downtown, said Sheriff’s spokesman Jimmy Lee.

The deputy called immediately for facility medical personnel, who began lifesaving measures, Lee said. Paramedics also responded. The death, Lee said, appears to be related to a medical episode.

Following protocol for in-custody deaths, the Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office and Sheriff’s Office are investigating the death of this inmate.