Karim Talib
Karim Talib was an 82-year-old man who had dementia, hypertension and used a wheelchair, and his adult children have said he needed help with his daily activities. He was held at the San Diego Central Jail during his criminal case and died there on July 28, 2025. The Medical Examiner's Office found that heart disease complicated by a bacterial infection that spread to his kidney caused his death, but the autopsy did not address jail conditions or staff response. His children's federal lawsuit alleges that deputies and jail medical staff ignored clear signs of his deteriorating health and repeatedly denied him proper care, and men held near him have described him lying in his own waste for days and being moved to a segregation unit with minimal monitoring, claims the county has not answered in these reports.
Cause of death, as reported: Cause not yet determined (disputed; neglect alleged). The Medical Examiner's Office ruled his death due to heart disease complicated by a bacterial kidney infection, while his children's federal lawsuit says jail medical staff and deputies ignored clear signs of his deteriorating health and repeatedly denied him proper care.
Reported by: Medical Examiner's Office (medical examiner or coroner); adult children, in federal lawsuit against the county, jail medical staff and NaphCare (family or their lawyers); detainee witness's account in sworn declarations filed in a class-action lawsuit (witnesses).
Lawsuit: Talib's adult children filed a federal lawsuit against San Diego County, jail medical staff and NaphCare over his death, and no settlement or award amount has been reported.
News reports (5)
- Two Recent In Custody Deaths Increase Scrutiny Over San Diego Jails
- Facing heightened scrutiny, sheriff proposes third-party review of jail healthcare. But its model has a problem. - San Diego Union-Tribune
- Reporter’s notebook: One man’s autopsy shows the limits of public disclosures on how people die in jail - San Diego Union-Tribune
- San Diego jail wrongly held 82-year-old with dementia in solitary confinement, where he died, new lawsuit says - San Diego Union-Tribune
- Lawsuit over San Diego jail death of 82-year-old man advances