DUBLIN — An autopsy will be performed to determine the cause of death of a 53-year-old Oakland man who died in a Santa Rita Jail cell Thursday morning just over a day after he had been booked, authorities said.
He was identified by the sheriff’s office as Eric Johnson.
According to sheriff’s Capt. Tya Modeste, Johnson was initially booked at the jail about 1:30 a.m. Wednesday after he was arrested by San Leandro police on suspicion of vehicle theft.
He was assigned to a minimum security setting in the custodial reception center, where he was the only occupant of his cell, Modeste said.
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A deputy found him unresponsive in his cell about 5:15 a.m. Thursday, she said.
Deputies and custodial staff immediately performed life-saving measures, but he was pronounced dead at 5:30 a.m.
Modeste said the sheriff’s office investigation into the death is ongoing. She said the district attorney’s office has been notified of the death and a report will also be submitted to the state attorney general’s office.
It is the first in-custody death at the jail this year and the 69th since 2014.
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