Sylvestre Inzunza
Sylvestre Miguel Inzunza was 18 years old. His mother, Roseanne Inzunza, has become an advocate for more accountability and oversight at the jail, and she has called for community mental health resources instead of more guards. He died on February 2, 2022, at the Pima County Adult Detention Center in Tucson, and his death was ruled a fatal fentanyl overdose. According to a federal wrongful-death lawsuit brought by his family, he overdosed twice after entering the jail: after the first overdose he was given Narcan and taken to a hospital, then returned to the jail, where he died after the second. The family's claim that policies failed to keep contraband out of the jail was allowed to proceed to discovery in November 2023, and the sheriff said he could not comment on the litigation but described new measures to keep drugs out of the jail.
Cause of death, as reported: Died of an overdose (neglect alleged). The death was ruled a fatal overdose; his family's federal lawsuit says jail staff sent him back to the jail after a first fentanyl overdose and that policies failed to keep contraband out.
Reported by: news reports; his family's federal lawsuit (family or their lawyers).
Lawsuit: His family filed a federal lawsuit against the Pima County sheriff and guards, and in November 2023 a judge allowed the case to proceed to discovery on claims that policies failed to keep drugs out of the jail.