San Diego deputies got weeks of suspension after review board found crimes in a jail death
Bobby Ray Patton Jr., 46, died at the San Diego County Sheriff's Office Vista Detention Facility on Dec. 28, 2024. In April 2026 the county's Citizens' Law Enforcement Review Board (CLERB) found that two deputies engaged in criminal conduct, concluding they failed to conduct required safety checks and did not respond to signs that Patton needed medical attention. CLERB referred the case to the District Attorney's Office for potential prosecution. The Sheriff's Office said its homicide investigators found no criminal conduct and disagreed with the finding; the two deputies, who have not been publicly named, received multi-week suspensions. The DA's office declined to comment on specific cases, and no charges have been reported.
They concluded the two deputies failed to respond to signs that Patton needed medical attention.
Investigators say they failed to conduct required safety checks and act when an inmate showed signs of medical distress.
Did not agree criminal conduct occurred; said its homicide investigators found none.
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