SAN DIEGO COUNTY, Calif. — In a new report, the San Diego County Law Enforcement Review Board found jail deputies failed to conduct mandatory cell checks on two men who were found dead in their cells.
The review board, known as CLERB, found deputies on two separate occasions did not perform the required 60-minute checks on Abdiel Sarabia Hernandez, who died in July 2022, and Matthew Settles, who was found dead a month later in August 2022, inside their cells at the George Bailey Detention Facility.
In the case of 35-year-old Abdiel Sarabia, fellow inmates reported that Sarabia's health had been declining in the months leading up to his death on July 22, 2022, while incarcerated at the George Bailey Detention Center.
The day before his death, Sarabia, according to a January 2024 lawsuit filed by his family, told deputies he was not feeling well. Other inmates said Sarabia went into his cell to lie down. His family's lawsuit states Sarabia did not respond to calls to take his medication. Yet, despite this, deputies and jail medical staff, according to the complaint, failed to evaluate Sarabia or call in a medical emergency.
At approximately 10:15 AM on July 22, 2022, deputies entered Sarabia's cell and found him dead from a heart attack. Rigor had set in, and Sarabia was cold to the touch, indicating he had died hours before his discovery.
In its recent findings, CLERB members examined video surveillance from the dorm-style housing wing where Sarabia's bunk was located. The video showed a deputy making his rounds through the entire upper tier in only 28 seconds without stopping. The deputy failed to physically check on all inmates to ensure they were not experiencing medical emergencies or engaging in criminal activity, as deputies must do.
According to CLERB's findings, "A preponderance of evidence showed Deputy 2 failed to observe Sarabia in a manner that complied with the policy of “looking at the incarcerated persons for any obvious signs of medical distress, trauma or criminal activity,"
In addition, a second deputy failed to conduct the same mandatory checks. That deputy walked through the entire upper housing tier in just 20 seconds.
Less than one month later, on August 16, 2022, deputies discovered the body of 54-year-old Matthew Settles in a medical observation cell also at George Bailey Detention Center.
Settles, who suffered from schizoaffective disorder, had been placed in the Inmate Safety Program at the detention facility.
As with Sarabia, CLERB members found that while jail logs showed deputies making their 60-minute mandatory checks into Settles's cell, jail surveillance video showed otherwise.
Read CLERB's report, "A review of the CCTV footage showed a deputy passed by Settles’ cell at approximately 6:04 pm and 7:19 pm. The video evidence showed approximately 75 minutes passed between direct visual observations of Settles."
By the time deputies did conduct adequate checks, Settles was found dead, having hung himself in his cell.
In March 2024, Settles's mother, Brenda, filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the Sheriff's Office and the County of San Diego.
"It’s just unreal that they could do that to a mentally ill person. I hope no one ever has to go through that,” Brenda Settles told CBS 8 at the time of the court filing.
“Matthew was such a wonderful person. He just was a joy to be around when he was stable. It’s an absolutely horrible illness that he got,” said Settles.
CLERB members will discuss their findings at a December 17 meeting.
A spokesperson for the Sheriff's Office declined to comment on the findings due to pending litigation and "out of courtesy for the parties involved."
