The Weekly has learned that an Orange County Sheriff’s Department (OCSD) inmate who had a history of annoying cops mysteriously died yesterday.
Despite the hours that have passed, OCSD officials haven’t yet issued a press release about the jail death or explained following a media inquiry asking what happened to 38-year-old Anthony Aceves of Santa Ana.
Jail records currently show Aceves was “released” from the county’s Theo Lacy Jail just before 11 p.m. on May 23 and the reason for the departure is listed as “deceased.”
A woman who said she is the victim’s mother told the Weekly this afternoon that her son suffered from schizophrenia but was otherwise relatively healthy and “a special kid who should have been better taken care of.”
The mother also said OCSD officials, including in the coroner’s office, have refused to provide her any information other than that they are investigating the cause of death and that he was found “unresponsive” in his cell.
Aceves’ prior convictions include assault, criminal threats, vandalism and battery on a Santa Ana Police Department cop, according to county records.
That last alleged crime landed him in prison in early 2017 for a two year term.
After his release, he was accused of a violation (failure to report to his probation officer) that put him back in OCSD custody that ended tragically.
Aceves’ suspicious family tells me they want to know the truth about his death.
[UPDATE, May 25: OCSD spokeswoman Carrie L. Braun reported that deputies found Aceves unresponsive in his cell with “no obvious signs of trauma” before transporting him to a hospital where he was pronounced dead. Said Braun, “The cause of death is pending while the coroner’s office completes its investigation.”]
CNN-featured investigative reporter R. Scott Moxley has won Journalist of the Year honors at the Los Angeles Press Club; been named Distinguished Journalist of the Year by the LA Society of Professional Journalists; obtained one of the last exclusive prison interviews with Charles Manson disciple Susan Atkins; won inclusion in Jeffrey Toobin’s The Best American Crime Reporting for his coverage of a white supremacist’s senseless murder of a beloved Vietnamese refugee; launched multi-year probes that resulted in the FBI arrests and convictions of the top three ranking members of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department; and gained praise from New York Times Magazine writers for his “herculean job” exposing entrenched Southern California law enforcement corruption.
I could tell you stories about ‘law enforcement’ in OC that would chill your blood to ice. I retired from the county after threats and abuse after reporting corruption and Todd Spitzer.
Condolences to his mother. Inmates medical issues dont always get taken seriously.
hey Jacki L,
Shoot me an email, my name is Ben Camacho, I’m a photojournalist who is currently doing work around SB1421 and the police records that we just got access to.
be*******************@gm***.com
@bencamach0
It is obvious this reporter is slanted and not on the side of law enforcement. I am assuming OCSD gave the family what they knew… He was found unresponsive in his cell. They are investigating it to see if it was natural, suicide or a homicide. They need a complete investigation, along with the coroner’s autopsy and investigation to determine that. If the inmate had a history of “pissing off” law enforcement, then I am guessing he had a history of pissing off his cell mates or other inmates too. Let’s wait and see what the official cause of death is before jumping to conclusions.
Here we go! Another blindly devoted L.E.O. boot licker. For all we know you work for OCSD! When something looks, walks, swims, and quacks like a duck. Guess what! It’s a duck. There’s a well-established history and pattern at play. Jails LET inmates die all the time. Heck, if they piss the wrong staff member off, the pesky inmate conveniently meets with a “mysterious death” that “will be thoroughly investigated.”
I guarantee you if a child came up missing in your community and there was a registered sex offender down the street who had a past of molesting little kids, you’d peg him guilty and not bother looking any further. You’d assume; hell, he did it before, why wouldn’t he do it again?
Don’t give these pieces of crap a benefit of the doubt you would deny to a fellow civilian like yourself.
Okay, here’s the problem…the coroner’s office is part of the sheriff’s department and the DA was once a LEO and received over a million dollars in political contribution from the Sheriff’s union. Can we call conflict of interest?
Very suspicious to me . They don’t like the mentally ill, don’t want to deal with them , nor are trained properly . I sure hope this man didn’t die at their hands .
First In Formost May He Rest In Piece. My Condulance Goes Out To Mom & Family. I Know Its One Of The Hardest Things To Expierence.
ThisOCSD Sheriffs Will Let You Just Die They Dont Care In There Eyes We Are Criminals. I Was Injuryed In OCSD 3 Degree Burns From There Hott Bowling Shower Water. I Went Blind In One Eye. I Was Seen By Medical Staff 11 Days Later. Recieved NO TREATMENT. This Is 6 Years Later & Im Starting To Loss Vision On My Other Eye. This Injury Has Taking A Toll Of My Life. Leaving Me Hopeless & Blind. If I Could Upload My Medical Records To Show You How The Doctor Profiled Me As A Criminal !
Quit stealing then PUTO
All cops and correctional staff in Orange and Osceola county jails are the worst when it comes to the well being of inmates I was in Osceola county jail when a man hung himself and the kid in his cell was screaming and banging on the door and yelling this guy is killing himself”!! And at one point the officer said let him die thinking it was a joke and the guy died 45 min later after the guy died they went to his cell had they got there when the guy was screaming and letting them know he was killing himself he would be alive today and there was a young guy dope sick bad and he was telling the guard that something wasn’t right he was throwing up blood and pleading with the guard he needed medical attention the officer told him wait until the nurse comes with meds then talk to her mind you it was around 5 or 6 shift change so not worried about the inmate but going home and the nurse doesn’t come around until 8 or 9 pm the guy ended up dying I really dislike correctional officers they think they are better than the inmate your just a piece of gum on the bottom of there shoe God bless the guy who passed away and I guarantee that the correctional staff had something to do with it they don’t care about anything but there pay check and what is sad is they get away with murder and sexual relations with female inmates I have seen it first hand and I have a relative that works for corrections here in Florida and he told us every thing that they get away with and it’s sad so sorry about my French but fuck Osceola county corrections and orange county they are the worst excuse for the title of officer I believe in karma and what goes up comes down.
Orange County Central Jail and the Theo Lacy Facility are cesspools of corruption and infection all the way from the inmates to the Orange County Sheriff herself. The deputies had both facilities I have found between visiting and being an inmate myself to be the most vile pathetic excuse for mankind on the planet. The worst of criminals included. Those sheriff’s deputies take pure pleasure in dehumanizing humiliating patronising antagonizing and degrading both the men and women inmates at the central jail complex and the men at the Theo Lacy Facility. From personal experience and from the words of very trusted people that place should be revamped all the way down to the last parasite in the drain of the showers. I now make six figures and have been drug-free and crime-free for almost 2 years now following the love and guidance of My Savior Jesus Christ. My experience is in the Orange County Central jail complex can be summed up in one word, horrific. I don’t know where the sheriff’s department comes up with these pathetic excuse for deputies but I truly believe that these people were the kids that were bullied in school and never got their Vengeance out on the general public. So now as sheriff’s deputies they seek that Vengeance on inmates of all levels from traffic ticket Defenders 2 Capital murders they don’t care. All they care is that they can sit down at the end of their day and know that they have completely desecrated the lives of at least one to two inmates a day. Those are my true beliefs about the Orange County Central and Theo Lacy Jail complexes. James A. Musick facility have there things in order much better but don’t go tooting your Musik you still have sheriff’s deputies that occupy most of the authority of seats in that place so the cancer does spread just don’t hold your breath for improvement.
These officers think their above the law , they committ more crimes than the inmates. They also need better training with working with the mentally ill, instead of just beating them or shooting them. They should always have a psychiatrist on hand, if they to call for a incident that’s dealing with mental illness. If they can call for backup, I’m sure they can call a psychiatrist in,It’s tragic for any parent to hear their child died in custody due to mysterious circumstances . Parents need closure, I really hope that internal affairs does a thorough investigation, we don’t want to hear that the cameras didn’t pick up on anything, it’s time to clean house….
Just do what they ask and be quick to follow orders. Dont give attitude.
I was at lacy and main ran with the homies.
Ur so cool man. Ur probably a white bander who kisses the cops ass. U probably run a cops program too i.e. beating up ur oown people for bs like getting the TV turned off. F*** that and F*** them deputies.
Regardless NO SHOULD DIE IN JAIL
That was my neighbor ! And this is fuckin bullshit whatever he suffered skitzel he was a good guy and treates him like family fuck oc jail!
Skitz was fam bam regardless and the system failed him. They we’re supposed to protect his well being while he was in their custody and they failed to do.
You were arrested and came to jail uncooperative. During triage a nurse is trying to assess you for your medical and mental health history. You give the nurse a freaking attitude, but despite of that, you were given so many chances to calm down. Then you said NO to all the questions. The nurse still gave you another chance to submit urine sample for Urine drug screen. If you’re under the influence of alcohol, Heroin, Benzos, or Methadone They always put you for Vital signs check for at least 3 days. You kept on refusing medical care… Yes…the grand dury is right!!! Just simple Vital signs will save lives. But if you’re non compliant…It’s your choice to die!!!
I believe in God… He helps those who help themselves.
I believe in Santa Claus, those who behave get presents.
The triage Nurse will assess you for medical and mental health history. Correctional Nurses have policies and procedures to make sure they provide you with medical/mental care. If they think you have medical emergency, then you have to be cleared from the hospital.
You were arrested and came in uncooperative . The nurse will assess you for your medical and mental health history. If you’re under the influence of alcohol, Methamphetamine or Heroin, you will be placed on a protocol tx for withdrawals and that includes Vital signs. If you keep on refusing medical care. How are they going to keep you alive. Yes! the GRAND jury is right, simple Vital signs will save lives! But it’s your choice to live. Jail is not a hospital. Jail is there to protect the people from harm.
I AM A NURSE!
Well you guys sure do a crappyjob of itcuzalmost all ofmy trips i was always unser the influence ofsome type of drug and veryseldom did tbe put me on that vitals list that you swear so much by and ive always been cooporative with the nurses and most of the time when you complain anoutsomething going on with you their favorite thingto tell you is guess what drink more water if youve got the flu uneed more water atletes feet more water if you got a std nope you dont need pills youjust need todrink more water your dying with stage 4. Cancer guess what u need to drink more water u nurses at the county act like creams and medicine that should be given to inmates come outta ur paycheck. I’ve watched nurses act like idiots and ignore inmates when they really have a big emergency I’ve watched them not do what they should have walk away laughing and talking shit on the inmate out loud in front of the inmate or the surrounding inmates so don’t act like every nurse takes there jobs seriously and goes by the book and protocols cause more than most of them do not ok
The Whole OC judicial system is Corrupt . I was forced into taking a deal for a crime I didn’t commit. I was in oc jail for a day. I couldn’t sleep for the next couple months after witnessing a naked man being beat every so often. First off I’m female why did they have the guy naked for everyone to see? The guy looked terrified. I had no idea who to report it to. I felt awful and just wanted out of this county ASAP as soon as I was released.
OCJ is a fucken training caml for nazi cops. They look at every inmate as scum shit..even tho half those deputies have family members like most of the inmates in jail. They consider themselves as doing time just like inmates anyways. Orking in a jail facility with long hours and shitty pay hmm id be mad too and also look at my job as doing time..in reality they are, they are criminal just like inmates, having sex on the job, forcefully, willingly, beating the shit outta inmates cuz they had a bad day, there husband or wife was unfaithful etc..but they get a pass..their badge. To protect and serve haha you mean to shoot and kill. Fuck the police and deputies and correctional officers.. The whole system is screwed. Being mentally ill 5150 only gives an officer the right to shoot first ask questions later. I trust not one cop..they are protected by a badge sworn in by another criminal to legally commit criminal acts covered up by old men who were also bullied and lowkey likes lil kids or something. I mean shit sex offenders get away with more shit than a prostitute fucking for money to make some kind of living in the land of milk and honey cuz homelessness is almost a crime in itself cuz our state cant provide enough work for us citizens to earn money to live in a home instead of the streets but asians come over here by boat and drive mercedes and dont even know how to drive. Admit that our government and law enforcement are all crap and can go to hell. we all suffer by the hands of them on a daily one way or another
My brother is also being a victim of the sheriff’s in the Santa Ana Main Jail my brother is mentally I’ll he has schizophrenia and the sheriff’s have brutally beaten him that they even had to take him to the hospital I’m really afraid that the same thing that happened to this poor man can also happen to my brother