A federal jury on Tuesday found the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department and an incarcerated man, Richard Matus Jr., are both responsible for Matus’ death in custody four years ago. The jury awarded a $13.5 million verdict to the Matus family.
Matus died at Cois M. Byrd Detention Center in Murrieta, California in 2022 after ingesting fentanyl-laced pruno, a homemade alcoholic beverage often made in jails and prisons. There were 18 deaths in Riverside County jail facilities in 2022 — the deadliest of any given year in two decades.
Matus and his cellmates called for help multiple times after his breathing became labored, according to Christian Contreras, an attorney for the Matus family. The jury found a Riverside County deputy, Angel Rojas, unreasonably ignored an inmate's intercom call about Matus’ medical emergency.
“For 11 long minutes, the deputies did not respond. And by the time that [they did], it was way too late to save Mr. Matus' life,” said Contreras at a press conference on Wednesday. “It was way too late to do something about this medical emergency, and it was way too late to do their jobs adequately.”
Fentanyl overdoses can be reversed with naloxone, commonly known as Narcan, if it's administered immediately after a suspected overdose, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Lisa Matus, Richard’s mother, said, after years of seeking justice, she feels vindicated by the Tuesday verdict. “We got the truth out there, and we're going to continue to move forward and continue to push for the oversight because there are some changes that need to be done.”
In Riverside County, the sheriff oversees the Coroner’s Bureau. Legal experts say that structure presents at least the perception of a conflict of interest when someone dies in jail, in police custody, or following police use of force.
Lisa Matus said, after her son’s death, she had trouble getting an autopsy report from the department. She wants the departments separated. Matus said she hopes this verdict helps her in her fight for more oversight of the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department.
“We need immediate oversight in this county to protect the people that end up in custody,” said Matus.
The jury found Riverside County holds 40% of the responsibility for Matus’ death, according to court documents, and that Matus himself holds 60% of the responsibility.
While the verdict awards the family $13.5 million, the county is only on the hook for $5.4 million, or about 40% of the total payout. Contreras, the Matus’ attorney, said the rest of the $13.5 will not be paid to the family. He added that regardless, a $13.5 million verdict is on the high end.
Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco did not respond to KVCR’s request for comment.
Riverside County jail deaths have decreased since 2022, but several families of inmates who died are still pushing for increased oversight of the sheriff’s department. Earlier this year, a grand jury report encouraged sweeping reforms of the sheriff’s department and the Board of Supervisors created a committee to study it.
In 2024, Bianco told KVCR he should not be held responsible for deaths in his jails.
This story was edited with support from The California Newsroom, a collaboration of public media outlets throughout the state.