VISTA–The San Diego County Medical Examiner’s Office has completed their autopsy investigation related to the death of a 56-year-old inmate at the Vista Detention Facility on February 7.
The Medical Examiner’s Office has determined the cause of death of inmate Joseph Castiglione to be acute methamphetamine toxicity and the manner of death to be accidental. Evidence was found at autopsy indicating he ingested a large amount of methamphetamine wrapped in plastic. As Castiglione had only been in custody eight hours at the time he went into medical distress, he may have ingested it prior to his arrest.
On Feb. 7, just before 8:45 a.m., deputies at the Vista Detention Facility were performing a security check in a holding area when inmates in a holding cell knocked on the window to get the deputies attention. Deputies looked inside the cell and saw Castiglione in apparent medical distress. He did not appear injured, but soon after the deputies entered the cell to help the inmate he became unresponsive. CPR was initiated and he was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead at about 9:52 a.m.
Castiglione was in custody for possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, and a violation of his terms of parole.
