Felon dies in custody, circumstances under investigation
BANNING, Calif. (KESQ) - A 46-year-old felon awaiting trial on arson and other charges died in his jail cell in Banning today, but authorities said there was no indication of foul play.
Quadir Rafi Boykin of Menifee was discovered by correctional deputies unconscious in his cell at the Smith Correctional Facility shortly before 1 a.m. Monday, according to the Riverside County Sheriff's Department.
The agency said on-site medical personnel were summoned and initiated "life-saving measures,'' which county fire paramedics took over when they reached the location a short time later. However, the detainee was pronounced dead at the scene.
Corrections Central Investigations Bureau and Coroner's Office staff were assigned to conduct a probe into the fatality.
"There were no signs of foul play at the scene,'' according to a sheriff's statement. "Boykin's family has been notified of his death."
No other details were provided regarding possible circumstances associated with the fatality.
Court records showed Boykin was arrested by Riverside Police Department detectives in June following an arson investigation, which culminated in the defendant being charged with arson of property and a sentence-enhancing allegation of perpetrating an act with an incendiary device in an area under a state of emergency from a past event. Specific details were unavailable.
Boykin was a prior-strike felon who had served time in state prison, according to documents.
The sheriff's department has been sued in state and federal court over alleged civil rights violations, failure to disclose data and related deficiencies tied to in-custody deaths. The agency is among the most targeted in civil actions among more than three dozen county agencies.
Sheriff Chad Bianco has defended his deputies' handling of correctional operations and has repeatedly pointed to the smuggling of dangerous illicit drugs -- often fentanyl -- into the jail system through extraordinary means as the principal reason for deaths in detention facilities countywide.
