Medical Examiner Identifies San Diego Jail Inmate Who Died as Brandon Pleffner
The identification comes during renewed scrutiny of county jails following a state audit that flagged elevated in-custody deaths.
Overview
- Authorities named the decedent as Brandon Pleffner, 44, with the official cause of death pending postmortem findings.
- Deputies found Pleffner unresponsive in his cell shortly after 7 a.m. Sunday at San Diego Central Jail, where he was pronounced dead after unsuccessful resuscitation efforts.
- Pleffner had been booked on Nov. 8 on charges of shoplifting with prior convictions, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
- A 2022 review by the California State Auditor cited deficiencies in jail care that likely contributed to deaths and found San Diego’s rate exceeded other large counties.
- The Sheriff’s Office has pledged a $500 million jail modernization program, though critics question whether the changes sufficiently address systemic problems.