Death Investigation - San Diego Central Jail

Imperial Beach CA

21 March, 2022

8:06 AM

Description

Press release from San Diego County Sheriff's Department: March 18, 2022 The following information is fragmentary and has not been completely verified. It is based, in part, on hearsay and is intended for early information use rather than being a formal investigative report. On January 8, 2019, forty-six-year-old Lonnie Newton Rupard was arrested by National City Police Department for multiple charges and subsequently convicted for 245(a)(4) PC – Assault with Force Likely to Cause Great Bodily Injury. He was transferred to prison in July 2019. In May 2021, he was released from prison on the Post Release Community Supervision (PRCS) program. PRCS is a form of supervision provided to an offender who has been released from a California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation institution to the jurisdiction of a county agency, pursuant to the Post Release Community Supervision Act of 2011. On December 19, 2021, the National City Police Department arrested Rupard for 3455(a) PC – Post Release Community Supervision Revocation. Rupard was booked into the San Diego Central Jail. On March 17, 2022, at about 10:48 p.m., deputies were in the module when they found Rupard unresponsive in his cell. Deputies and medical staff immediately performed lifesaving measures until relieved by fire department personnel. Paramedics transported Rupard to a hospital. Unfortunately, Rupard was pronounced deceased at the hospital. The Homicide Unit responded to the jail and hospital to investigate the death. Rupard was alone in the cell and there were no obvious signs of trauma. No evidence of foul play was discovered. The Citizen's Law Enforcement Review Board (CLERB) was notified of the death and an investigator responded to the facility. Rupard was a resident of National City and his family has been notified of his death. The Medical Examiner's Office has scheduled an autopsy for March 19, 2022. This press release was produced by San Diego County Sheriff's Department. The views expressed here are the author's own.