A Newport Beach DUI probationer died in-custody at the Intake Release Center in Santa Ana

SANTA ANA, Ca. – On Saturday, February 1, 2025, an inmate housed at the Intake Release Center in Santa Ana died in jail.

The 44-year-old inmate was booked into jail on July 9, 2024, by the Newport Beach Police Department for driving under the influence and a probation violation. His name is being withheld pending notification of next of kin by the Orange County Coroner’s Division.

On the morning of February 1, 2025, the inmate was found unresponsive in his cell at the Intake Release Center in Module J. Deputies and correctional medical staff attempted life-saving measures, along with responding members of the Orange County Fire Authority.

He was pronounced deceased at the Intake Release Center at approximately 8:54 a.m. Preliminarily, there are no suspicious circumstances. A final cause of death will be determined following toxicology testing and an independent autopsy.

The Orange County District Attorney’s Office will investigate the in-custody death. The Orange County Sheriff’s Department will conduct an in-custody death review. No additional information will be released at this time.

The name of the inmate was not released but you can browse Orange County criminal records here. That portal includes arrests, warrants and criminal records.

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Our Editor, Art Pedroza, worked at the O.C. Register and the OC Weekly and studied journalism at CSUF and UCI. He has lived in Santa Ana for over 30 years and has served on several city and county commissions.

When he is not writing or editing Pedroza specializes in risk control and occupational safety. He also teaches part time at Cerritos College and CSUF. Pedroza has an MBA from Keller University.