By Gina Yarbrough
San Diego, CA–The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department is investigating an inmate found dead in his cell at the San Diego Central Jail Friday morning, authorities said.
Sheriff’s homicide investigators were notified that 33-year-old Eric Alexander Wolf, an individual in Sheriff’s custody, passed away around 9:50 a.m. in his cell.
“We extend our sympathies to the Wolf family and those affected by this death. A Sheriff’s Family Liaison officer will support the family as they deal with the loss of a loved one,” the Sheriff’s Department stated in a news release.
According to the Sheriff’s Department, Wolf was arrested on July 26, 2023, by the San Diego Police Department for failure to comply with a court order. The original listed charge was for robbery. On December 11, Wolf was sentenced to two years in prison. He did not have a permanent residence at the time of his arrest.
On January 5, around 8:55 a.m., deputies were conducting a safety check and found Wolf unresponsive and displaying signs of medical distress. Medical staff and deputies immediately began life-saving measures including CPR, Naloxone, and Epinephrine. The paramedics arrived and assumed medical care of the inmate. Despite life-saving efforts, Wolf was pronounced dead at 9:25 a.m. by a doctor from Mercy Hospital.
A Citizen’s Law Enforcement Review Board representative was notified of the incident and responded to the scene.
As is the protocol for all in-custody deaths, the Sheriff’s Homicide Unit responded and will conduct a thorough investigation. The cause and manner of death will be determined by the Medical Examiner’s Office.