Death Investigation - San Diego Central Jail
July 2, 2023 - San Diego County Sheriff’s Department officials report that on June 28, 2023, Sheriff's Homicide investigators were notified 
27-year-old Pedro Junior Ornelas III, an individual in Sheriff's custody, passed away at UCSD Hospital around 10:00 a.m. Ornelas was transported to the hospital on June 26, 2023, after deputies located him unresponsive in his single occupant cell. Deputies and jail medical staff provided medical aid until relieved by the San Diego Fire Department. We extend our sympathies to the Ornelas family and those affected by his death. A Sheriff's Family Liaison Officer will support the family as they deal with the loss of their loved one.
The Medical Examiner's Office has completed an autopsy of Mr. Ornelas and determined the preliminary cause of death was hanging; the manner of death was suicide.
To view the previous press release from June 29, 2023, see link below.
As is the protocol for all in-custody deaths, the Sheriff's Homicide Unit will conduct a thorough investigation.
Source: San Diego County Sheriff’s Department
