Zacarias Joseph Ruiz
Zacarias Joseph Ruiz, 38, of San Bernardino, was held at the West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga. Deputies found him unconscious with visible trauma in a cell he shared with another man on the night of January 19, 2026, and he was taken to a hospital, where he died the next day. The San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department says investigators believe he and his cellmate fought before he was found, and that the cellmate killed him, though an autopsy to confirm the cause and manner of death is pending. It is not known from the reports how long he was unconscious before deputies found him, and the department has not said when the last cell check was made. The investigation is ongoing.
Cause of death, as reported: Killed by another person in custody. The Sheriff's Department says Ruiz was killed by his cellmate after a fight, and his cellmate has been booked for murder; the autopsy is pending.
Reported by: San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department (the agency that held him). The only account of how this person died comes from the agency that held him.