The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department announced on April 19 that an inmate died in custody at the West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga. The incident occurred around 4:55 a.m., when deputies found Mariel Mays, a 26-year-old male from Adelanto, unresponsive in his cell.
The department said deputies and jail medical staff attempted lifesaving measures until American Medical Response and Rancho Cucamonga Fire personnel arrived to assist. Despite their efforts, Mays was pronounced dead at the scene. “Mays did not have obvious signs of trauma. His cause and manner of death will be determined after an autopsy,” according to the department’s statement.
Authorities reported that Mays had been arrested by the Adelanto Sheriff’s Station on March 24 on a Penal Code section 245(A)(1) warrant and was initially booked at High Desert Detention Center before being transferred to West Valley Detention Center on April 14. The investigation is being led by the Sheriff’s Specialized Investigations Division – Homicide Detail, which responded to assume responsibility for the case.
Shannon D. Dicus holds the position of sheriff-coroner for the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, according to the official website. The department serves more than 2.1 million residents with services including a dispatch center handling numerous calls and maintaining fifteen patrol stations across its jurisdiction, as reported by the official website.
The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department states it provides collaborative law enforcement services aimed at meeting community needs through professional means, according to its official website. It also operates a historical society museum dedicated to preserving its heritage.
Anyone with information about this case is asked to contact Detective Jacob Angelini of the Specialized Investigations Division at 909-890-4904 or report anonymously via We-Tip or online reporting platforms.
