Female inmate found dead at Sonoma County Jail

A female inmate was found dead Saturday night inside the Sonoma County Jail, the third inmate death in the past three weeks.

In a written release Sunday afternoon, the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office said Rhonda Jean Everson, 50, was found around 9:30 p.m. Saturday when a correctional deputy and a jail nurse dispensing medication discovered her unresponsive.

There was no sign of injury or foul play, Sgt. Cecile Focha said in the press release. The deputy began lifesaving efforts, Focha said, and paramedics arrived shortly afterward. Everson was pronounced dead about 20 minutes later.

Everson had been booked into the jail Friday after being arrested by sheriff’s deputies on suspicion of possessing a controlled substance, bringing a controlled substance into jail and violating probation, Focha said in the release.

When she was booked Friday night, she was screened by medical personnel, Focha said.

“Because of an extensive history of substance abuse and other associated medical concerns, (Everson) was housed in a special housing unit with a focus on inmates going through withdrawal,” the release said.

Everson was seen awake on Saturday morning and was accounted for in the twice-hourly rounds conducted by correctional deputies.

The Marin County Sheriff’s Office is conducting an investigation into the death, Focha said. The office was closed Sunday.

Focha said Everson was a transient from west Sonoma County. No further information was released.

Several possible addresses were found for her, including Healdsburg, Calistoga, Santa Rosa and Cotati.

Everson’s death is the third since late September at jail facilities.

On Sept. 28, Mikol Stewart, 36, of Santa Rosa died after reportedly hanging himself while in his cell at the main jail. Stewart was the suspect in the Sept. 10 shooting death of Arturo Hinojosa, 49, of Petaluma inside the victim’s Suncrest Hill Drive home.

The investigation of Stewart’s death is finished and reports were to be turned over to the Sonoma County District Attorney’s Office, sheriff’s officials said earlier this month.

Another inmate died Oct. 8 at the North County Detention Center.

Diego Armando De Paz, 31, was serving a 15-day sentence related to a drunken-driving conviction when he was found unresponsive in his bed.

Jail officials were awaiting the results of an autopsy to determine the cause of his death. Sheriff’s officials said there were no signs of trauma to his body.

Marin County Coroner’s Office is also conducting the autopsy and related pathology testing on De Paz.

De Paz’s family said he had several health conditions, including diabetes and chronic pain from a car crash, and they suspect he wasn’t being properly medicated.

Focha said she didn’t have access to information relating to other ?recent deaths in the jail, nor ?would anyone else on Sunday evening.

Press Democrat records show at least 8 inmates have died since late 2009, some of whom were believed to have committed suicide and others who had medical emergencies from preexisting health problems.

One woman, in 2010, died at the jail after having brain surgery.

You can reach Lori A. Carter at 762-7297 or lori.carter@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @loriacarter.