Local mother shares her concerns for inmates after first jail death reported in California likely due to COVID-19

An inmate at the California Institution for Men in Chino, California has died from complications related to coronavirus. The death reported Sunday, marks the first inmate death in the state from the virus.

Riverside County confirms there are now 114 cases of coronavirus in our county jails.

News Channel 3’s Caitlin Thropay spoke with a local mother who shared her concerns for a loved one with coronavirus in one of our county jails.

“He called my mom from the jail phone and he told her that he tested positive for coronavirus,” Desert Hot Springs resident, Linsey Rogers told News Channel 3 on Monday.

She said the father of her children is an inmate at Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility in Banning, California.

After hearing of the news of the first California prison inmate to die in Chino, likely due to COVID-19, Rogers said she’s concerned for her loved one who is sick in jail.

“I mean it’s sad," she said. "It sucks. My kids want to see their dad and want him to be healthy and okay,” she added.

“He said, they aren’t giving them any medication or trying to take care of them or anything like that,” Rogers said.

On Friday, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco released a video addressing inmates with coronavirus. See video here.

“Sick inmates are receiving quality health care from our doctors and nurses," Bianco said in the video. "All of our inmates were provided with masks and are being encouraged to practice good hygiene and social distancing,” he added.

Sheriff Bianco also said in the video jails are being cleaned multiple times per day and inmates are being provided ample cleaning and personal hygiene items.

Rogers told us she has not yet seen the Sheriff's video.

“The truth is these inmates receive excellent treatment and have greater access to medical care more readily than most of you who are not in jail,” Bianco shared in the video.

After a phone call with her loved one a week ago, before the Sheriff’s video was released, Rogers said what she heard on the phone was concerning.

“Honestly, I don’t know what they are doing. He just said that they’re not giving them any medication or taking care of them. They are just not treating them pretty much. He did not say that they are not wearing masks or anything like that but I’m not too sure about all that,” she said.

Rogers told us, the 42-year-old father to her children, Kenneth Cook was a good father. She said he has been in jail for five months and is expected to be released sometime next year.

"It would be cool for him to be taken care of the right way and everyone else in that matter," Rogers said. "Everyone else deserves to be taken care of the right way," she added.

Watch here Riverside County Sheriff, Chad Bianco video message regarding how the county is treating inmates and staff with COVID-19.