Santa Rita Jail inmate dies after being found with ligature

Jessica Watson, a 36-year-old woman from Oakland, died on Thursday night at a local hospital nine days after being found unresponsive in her cell at the Santa Rita Jail in Dublin.

According to the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office, Watson was arrested by Hayward police on October 10 on outstanding warrants for domestic violence and driving under the influence. During a welfare check on October 13, deputies discovered her with “what appeared to be a ligature around her neck.”

Although medical staff and deputies performed lifesaving measures and Watson was transported to a hospital, she remained unresponsive. She was released from custody on her own recognizance on October 14, before being pronounced dead at the hospital later that evening.

The circumstances of the death are currently under investigation, with the official cause to be determined by an autopsy and toxicology testing. The death has been reported to the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office and the California Attorney General’s Office. This incident marks the fourth in-custody death at the facility this year.