BANNING, CA — A 31-year-old Riverside County inmate died over the weekend after suffering a medical emergency in his cell, according to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department.
Christopher Martinez of Norwalk was found in distress inside his cell at approximately 8:30 p.m. Saturday at Banning’s Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility, the sheriff’s department reported.
“Custody staff and jail medical personnel immediately responded and administered emergency medical assistance,” the agency stated.
Paramedics responded, and Martinez was transported to a local hospital, where he later died, according to the sheriff’s department.
An inmate with the same name and age was arrested by Menifee police on Harmony Lane and booked into the Banning jail on July 27 on suspicion of making criminal threats and terrorist threats — both felonies. The booking charges also included exhibiting a deadly weapon other than a firearm and stealing from a dependent adult, both misdemeanors. Bail was listed at $25,000, according to jail records.
