Lonnie Rupard
- Age: 47
- Name of Jail: San Diego Central Jail
- Location: San Diego, CA
- Cause of Death*: Pneumonia, malnutrition, dehydration and neglected schizophrenia
- Incarceration Type: Pre-trial detention
- Private Company: Liberty Healthcare of California
- Incarceration Duration: About three months
- Date of Death: March 17, 2022
Lonnie Rupard was a 47-year-old father who had a history of schizophrenia and was "dependent on others for his wellbeing," according to a lawsuit filed by his family. On December 19, 2021, Rupard was arrested on a parole violation and booked into the San Diego Central Jail. A death investigation by the San Diego County Citizens’ Law Enforcement Review Board (CLERB) notes that “Rupard’s cell was known to be covered in trash and feces” and that he refused to take daily medications, which were ultimately discontinued due to his noncompliance. A psychiatrist who met with Rupard in February 2022 reported that he rambled incoherently but did not require immediate psychiatric intervention, according to the lawsuit.
In March 2022, a court-ordered psychiatrist determined that Rupard was not competent to stand trial and recommended that he be referred to a state hospital and given antipsychotic medication involuntarily, but “the determination was made too late to give Rupard the care he needed,” according to the CLERB investigation.
A few days later, Rupard was found dead. He weighed 105 pounds at autopsy. He had lost 60 pounds during his three months of incarceration—more than one-third of his body weight. The county’s deputy medical examiner concluded: “Records document that care was made available to the decedent in the form of meals, continuous in-cell water supply, prescription medications to treat his psychiatric illness, and medical evaluations; nevertheless, the ineffective delivery of that care ended with his death. While elements of self-neglect were present, ultimately this decedent was dependent upon others for his care; therefore, the manner of death is classified as homicide."
The CLERB investigation found that Rupert died “in a setting of neglected schizophrenia.”
The San Diego County Sheriff’s Office declined to comment on Rupard’s case, citing pending litigation. An official response to the lawsuit, filed by the county in federal court, can be found here.
Liberty Healthcare of California did not respond to the Lab’s request for comment.
A full account of the lawsuit—including the estate’s allegations against San Diego County, Liberty Healthcare of California and others, as well as each party’s response—is available through PACER (Case 3:23-cv-01357, Southern District of California).