A 30-year-old Fontana man died after he suffered a medical episode while San Bernardino County Sheriff’s deputies tried to book him into jail.
Joel Valencia was being booked at the West Valley Detention Center a few minutes before midnight on Friday for “a domestic disturbance” when he “became erratic and upon medical evaluation, it was discovered his heart rate was elevated and he required transportation to the hospital,” the Sheriff’s Department said in a news release.
When he got to the hospital — by this point, it was Saturday — “he became combative and suffered a medical emergency,” authorities added.
Despite lifesaving measures, Valencia was pronounced dead. An autopsy will determine the cause of death.
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