Chase Mitchell, 53, Identified As Man Who Died Following Illness in Vista Jail

Authorities on Friday publicly identified the inmate who suffered a medical emergency at Vista Detention Facility and died at a hospital.

Deputies conducting a safety check inside a housing unit at the South Melrose Drive jail found Chase Mitchell, 53, suffering from an unknown ailment at about 7:30 a.m. Sunday, according to the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department.

Paramedics took him to a hospital, where he died Monday evening.

Mitchell, believed to have been homeless at the time of his arrest, had been jailed Saturday on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon.

A ruling on his cause of death remains on hold pending completion of postmortem examinations.

Custody deaths have been an issue for the Sheriff’s department in recent years. A state audit in 2022 found that officials had not adequately prevented or responded to fatalities in custody. The county had 19 such deaths that year.

– City News Service