Kings County Sheriff: Recently booked inmate dies of overdose after having swallowed baggie of meth
***NOTE: Graphic photo below***
Originally published 2-18-22 via Facebook
by the Kings County Sheriff’s Office:
“On Tuesday, February 15, 2022, at approximately 0130 hours, a Kings County Deputy Sheriff conducted a traffic enforcement stop in the 9000 Block of Highway 41 in rural Kings County. The Deputy contacted the female driver and passenger, later identified as Rudolph De La Vega (DOB: 8/9/1970). As the investigation unfolded, a records check revealed four active warrants issued for the arrest of Rudolph. The charges included domestic violence and being under the influence of a controlled substance with a total bail of over $65,000.
Rudolph was placed under arrest and transported to the Kings County Jail, where he was booked. Jail records indicate a Registered Nurse evaluated Rudolph at 0230 hours and noted he was walking, talking, and had stable vitals. However, because Rudolph refused to answer further questions from the medical staff, he was placed into a nearby observation cell unrestrained.
During one of the routine checks, a Kings County Detentions Deputy noticed Rudolph was sweating profusely and appeared to require medical assistance. That Deputy immediately called jail medical staff to evaluate Rudolph. The same Registered Nurse who evaluated Rudolph when he arrived at the jail noted that Rudolph was now diaphoretic (sweating profusely), hallucinating, and talking to the walls. The Registered Nurse immediately requested jail staff call 9-1-1 for Emergency Medical Services.
American Ambulance noted upon their arrival that Rudolph began resisting law enforcement and would not walk to the gurney. He continued to struggle and his hands and feet were cuffed. He was then moved out of the cell and rolled onto a medical transport flat board with notations that he was no longer struggling. EMS noted Rudolph was breathing, had a pulse but shortly after that noticed agonal breath, and a carotid pulse was absent.
CPR and other life-saving treatments were administered by EMS, Fire personnel, and Detention Deputies for approximately 20-minutes. Unfortunately, despite the immediate resuscitation efforts, Rudolph was pronounced deceased.
Photo courtesy of Kings County Sheriff’s Office
Rudolph was transported to the morgue, where an autopsy was conducted. During the autopsy, the Pathologist discovered a small, ruptured, black plastic bag within the contents of his stomach. A preliminary presumptive test was conducted on the remaining contents found within the bag, which showed positive for Methamphetamine. A presumptive urinalysis was also conducted on Rudolph, which showed positive for Methamphetamine and PCP.
The bag and the contents were seized as evidence and will be sent to the Department of Justice Laboratory for further forensic analysis. The official cause of death has not been determined pending toxicology results.”
