Tamario Smith
Tamario Smith, 21, was born in Stockton and grew up in Santa Cruz County with his family, one of 13 siblings; he graduated from Louden Nelson Community High School and was a member of the Word of Life Church. He died on May 10, 2020, while held at the Santa Cruz County Jail, where he was found facedown in his cell. The county coroner and forensic pathologist classified his death as an accident, attributing it to acute water intoxication from drinking too much water in a short time, linked to mental health issues, and the sheriff's office gave the same account. His family and lawyers disputed this, filing a federal lawsuit in January 2021 alleging neglect and failures in mental health care and oversight, and claiming that psychiatric medication given without routine blood testing contributed to dangerously low blood sodium; the county approved a $2,210,000 settlement in October 2024.
Cause of death, as reported: Died in an accident (disputed; neglect alleged). The Santa Cruz County Coroner's Office ruled it an accident from over-drinking water, and the sheriff's office linked it to his mental health, but his family's federal lawsuit alleges negligence and indifference to his care, including psychiatric medication given without routine blood testing.
Reported by: Santa Cruz County Coroner's Office (medical examiner or coroner); Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office (the agency that held him); his family's federal lawsuit (family or their lawyers).
Lawsuit: His family sued Santa Cruz County and the sheriff in federal court over his death at the county jail, and the county approved a $2,210,000 settlement in October 2024.