Alicia Upton
Alicia Upton, 21, grew up in West Virginia and loved dancing, fishing, hiking, camping, swimming and horses, and her mother remembers her great sense of humor and infectious laugh. She was held at the Robert Presley Detention Center in Riverside, California, where she died by hanging in her cell on April 28, 2022, according to the sheriff's department and the coroner's listing of suicide. Her parents' federal wrongful death lawsuit says jail and medical staff ignored clear signs that she was acutely suicidal, moved her into a cell with hazards known to be used by people who are suicidal, and that the jail did not conduct timely safety checks. Sheriff Chad Bianco rejects responsibility and has called the suit an attempt to collect money, and the state attorney general has opened an investigation into in-custody deaths in the county's jails.
Cause of death, as reported: Died by suicide (disputed; neglect alleged). The family's federal wrongful death lawsuit says jail and medical staff ignored clear signs she was acutely suicidal and moved her into a cell with known hanging hazards, while Sheriff Chad Bianco rejects responsibility and calls the suit an attempt to collect money.
Reported by: Riverside County Sheriff's Department (the agency that held her); parents, in a federal wrongful death lawsuit (family or their lawyers); New York Times investigation as reported by Patch (reporters).
Lawsuit: Her parents filed a federal wrongful death lawsuit over her death, and no settlement or award amount has been reported.
News reports (5)
- Female Inmate Dies In Banning Jail, 6th In RivCo Since Late April
- Riverside County sheriff sued for wrongful death over inmate suicide - The Press-Enterprise
- Suicide Of 21-Year-Old Inmate At Riverside County Jail Sparks Lawsuit
- A Suicidal 21-Year-Old Was Jailed In California. Nine Days Later, She Was Dead.
- RivCo Has One Of The Deadliest Jail Systems In U.S.: Report