KTLA

Hesperia man dies while in Sheriff’s Department custody

A general overall aerial view of West Valley Detention Center on Oct. 21, 2022, in Rancho Cucamonga, California. (Kirby Lee/Getty Images)

A 23-year-old Hesperia man died Thursday while he was in the custody of the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, authorities said.

Eduardo Lopez, who had been arrested by the Hesperia Police Department for alleged vandalism and obstructing a police officer on April 1, was being held at the West Valley Detention Center where he was “observed harming himself in his cell” on April 15, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department said in a news release.


Lopez was moved to a safety cell, and though “Lopez was monitored frequently in the safety cell by deputies and medical staff,” he was found unresponsive in that cell the next day, April 16, authorities said.

“Deputies and medical staff performed life saving measures until emergency medical personnel arrived and Lopez was transported to Pomona Valley Hospital for further medical treatment,” the release said.

However, his “health continued to decline,” and he died Thursday. An autopsy will determine the cause of death.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Travis Kleveno at 909-890-4904. To report information anonymously, call WeTip at 800-78CRIME or wetip.com.