The family of a former Riverside County jail inmate who died in custody has filed a federal lawsuit accusing the Sheriff’s Department of failing to properly care for prisoners and lying to make it more difficult to prove negligence.
The suit was filed Wednesday, March 22, on behalf of the family of Richard Matus Jr., one of 18 inmates to die last year in the jail system, the most in the county in at least 15 years. The deaths prompted an investigation in February by state Attorney General Rob Bonta — a probe that Sheriff Chad Bianco labeled a waste of taxpayer resources.
Family members of Richard Matus Jr. who died in Riverside County jail last year, hold up his photos while attending a press conference outside the United States District Court in downtown Riverside on Friday, March 24, 2023. The Matus family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Riverside County, alleging that the deputies neglected to provide sufficient care to the inmates. (Photo by Watchara Phomicinda, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
Attorney Denisse Gastelum, representing the families of those who died in Riverside County jail last year, speaks during a press conference outside the United States District Court in downtown Riverside on Friday, March 24, 2023. Gastelum has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Riverside County on behalf of the families, alleging that deputies neglected to provide adequate care to the inmates. (Photo by Watchara Phomicinda, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
Attorney Denisse Gastelum, representing the families of those who died in Riverside County jail last year, speaks during a press conference outside the United States District Court in downtown Riverside on Friday, March 24, 2023. Gastelum has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Riverside County on behalf of the families, alleging that deputies neglected to provide adequate care to the inmates. (Photo by Watchara Phomicinda, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
Lisa Matus, the mother of Richard Matus Jr. who died in Riverside County jail last year, speaks during a press conference outside the United States District Court in downtown Riverside on Friday, March 24, 2023. The Matus family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Riverside County, claiming that deputies failed to provide proper care to the inmates. (Photo by Watchara Phomicinda, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
“It’s like these people were nothing,” said Matus’ mother, Lisa, in an interview Friday. “We get a sense they meant nothing to nobody.”
The Riverside County jails, which typically hold about 3,500 inmates at any given time, experienced a per-capita death rate in 2022 that was among the highest of any jail system in the state. .
At the time the investigation was launched, the ACLU noted San Diego County jails had 19 inmates who died in the same year, one more than Riverside County. But San Diego County usually houses around 500 more inmates per day than Riverside County.
Bianco did not respond Friday to a request for comment on the Matus lawsuit. But he said earlier that the state investigation was a witch hunt.
“Of course I’m not happy, this is going to waste our time,” he said in February. “Every single one of these inmate deaths was out of anyone’s control. The fact of the matter is that they just happened to be in our custody.”
Richard Matus, accused of robbery and attempted murder stemming from a holdup at a marijuana dispensary in 2018, died Aug. 11 after ingesting fentanyl. His brother, Raymond, is accused of the same charges and remains in custody awaiting trial.
The families of five other inmates who died in custody are expected to file similar lawsuits in June, said Matus’ attorney, Denisse Gastelum.
“What we are trying to achieve is to bring light to the blatant disregard for human life (in the jails),” Gastelum said. “They see people in the criminal justice system as having less rights than the average citizen. … They have done zero to stop these deaths from happening. They blame the deceased.”
Matus, 29, the father of two minor children, was found unconscious in his cell at the Cois M. Byrd Detention Center in French Valley. Emergency workers were unable to revive him.
A medical examination found fentanyl in his system, but his mother said there were also bruises and abrasions on his hands, abdomen and arms.
“What happened to him?” asked Lisa Matus.
Gastelum said state standards require that jailers do safety and welfare checks every hour for inmates in general population housing, more in medical settings. But that was not done in Matus’ case.
“Inmates tell me they are done once or twice a day,” Gastelum said.
“While he was dying slowly in his cell and his breathing is going out, had they done their checks, they would have gotten to him on time,” she said. “It was a very preventable death.”
Gastelum also questioned why drugs are allegedly so widely available in jail.
“I have witnesses telling (us) the day rooms are run like drug street corners,” she said. “If you’re doing the proper checks, there is no reason people need to be dying in custody.”
Additionally, Gastelum alleged the Sheriff’s Department misreported to the state that the deceased victims had been convicted when, in fact, they had not. This misrepresentation would make it easier to defend against lawsuits, she said.