Dennis Gomez, 31, Died After Being Found Unresponsive at Orange County Jail
ORANGE, CALIFORNIA (February 10, 2026) – A 31-year-old man identified as Dennis Gomez has died while being held in custody at the Theo Lacy Facility in Orange.
Orange County officials are saying that the incident took place around 2:00 p.m. on Sunday. Authorities found Dennis Gomez unresponsive before he was transported to the hospital.
Authorities have not yet released details on what may have caused his death. However, they do not believe that it occurred under any suspicious circumstances.
Autopsy and toxicology reports are scheduled to be performed. A full investigation of the death of Dennis Gomez remains ongoing.
Liability for Orange County Inmate Deaths
Jails across California have a legal obligation to protect inmates from reasonably foreseeable sources of harm. This necessitates that all inmates receive adequate medical care and treatment necessary for their well-being. Failing to give inmates adequate care during their stay is considered a form of cruel and unusual punishment and therefore unconstitutional. There are several factors that may have contributed to any particular inmate’s death.
- Ignored Symptoms: A jail may have ignored symptoms that an inmate was in serious distress. This could include situations when an inmate is having trouble breathing.
- Protection: A jail may have failed to protect an inmate from assaults by other inmates when they had specific knowledge of particular threats.
- Medications: A jail may have failed to give an inmate the medications that they needed during the course of their stay.
- Treatment: A jail may have delayed getting an inmate emergency care in the event that they were suffering from a serious condition.
When a jail violates the constitutional rights of an inmate, that jail can be held accountable for an inmate death through 42 U.S. Code § 1983. It matters whether or not jail officials acted with deliberate indifference to the needs of an inmate. In other words, a jail could be liable if they knew or should have known that they needed to take a course of action and still failed to act. A jail could also be held liable for an inmate death through a negligence claim. This could include instances where a jail causes an inmate’s death through a medication error.
Steps to Take After Orange County Inmate Deaths
Far too many inmates die in custody every year in jails across California. These deaths have continued to grow in local county jails. According to Open Justice, “In 2019, the percentage of county jail deaths grew to 20.6 percent and the percentage of CDCR deaths decreased to 52.8 percent.” Many of these deaths involve inmates that were not even convicted of the crime for which they were being held. The family of any person who died in a county jail should take certain actions.
- Medical Records: All of the medical records related to any inmate’s care should be closely examined.
- Jail Records: Jail records related to an inmate’s stay should also be reviewed.
- Eyewitnesses: Any person that may have more information about the events leading up to an inmate’s death should be interviewed.
- Constitutional Review: It should be determined if jail officials violated the constitutional rights of an inmate in some way that contributed to their death.
It can be hard to know where to begin after any inmate dies in custody. To make matters worse, jails will virtually never be transparent about how any death took place. It is very common for them to claim that any inmate’s death was natural. But the truth of the matter is that many inmate debts listed as natural actually involve some amount of neglect. The family of any inmate who died is able to seek some measure of accountability through a civil claim.
Investigating Orange County Inmate Deaths
We at Carrazco Law extend our deepest condolences to the family of Dennis Gomez. Any person who may have more information about what happened should reach out to investigators. There needs to be a thorough investigation into what went wrong. Several questions still need to be answered. When was the last time this person received a wellness check prior to their death? Did he receive a medical evaluation prior to his stay? Is there a history of similar deaths at this facility?
Do you need more information about an inmate death in Orange County? Our team of civil rights advocates is here for you. We care deeply that inmates are aware of their rights and that jails are held fully accountable for their unconstitutional actions. Whether you just have legal questions or need a free, independent investigation into any particular incident, we are here to serve your needs. You can contact us anytime at (800) 541-3244.
