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Ventura County jail sued over inmate death
A family is suing a Ventura County jail over the suicide death of their daughter-- they say the death could have been prevented.
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VENTURA COUNTY, Calif. – The death of an inmate at a Ventura County jail has prompted an investigation.
"Someone is not doing their job. Is it ignorance or is it willful? What is it?" William Denley, father of Rose Denley who committed suicide at the Todd Road Jail, asked.
William and his wife, Mary, said their daughter was arrested on drug charges in August 2022. They expected her to return home a few days later. Instead, they received the devastating news of Rose's suicide.
"Nothing tears your heart out like losing a child, irrespective of the child's age or how many children you have. It tears something out of you when they’re gone," William Denley recalled about that heartbreaking call.
The Denleys hired attorney Brad Gage after allegedly learning from jail staff that Rose had expressed a desire to jump from the second floor before actually doing it. Gage says, "Rose had expressed a desire to commit suicide and had previously attempted to do so by going over the rail. In law enforcement, once you know that a person is at risk, you have an obligation to protect them."
A grand jury report released last year revealed that a total of 25 inmates died in custody at two Ventura County jails between 2016 and 2022. "It was a failure on someone’s part," said William Denley.
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The Denley family hopes their lawsuit will prompt necessary changes in Ventura County jails.