OC inmate in ‘extremely’ critical condition after jail altercation

An Orange County jail inmate was hospitalized in “extremely” critical condition Tuesday following an altercation with a fellow inmate, authorities said.

Deputies at the Theo Lacy Jail in Orange responded just before 12 p.m. to an altercation between two inmates housed together, said Orange County Sheriff’s Department spokesman Lt. Jeff Hallock.

A 49-year-old man was found unconscious inside his jail cell and was taken to a hospital, Hallock said.

Investigators are withholding the names of the hospitalized inmate and the other inmate involved in the altercation, a 39-year-old.

It’s unclear if the incident was a fight or an attack.

“We don’t have any motive at this point,” Hallock said.

The Orange County district attorney’s office will lead the investigation into the altercation, Hallock said.

The jail, the county’s largest detention facility, is a maximum security jail that can hold more than 3,400 inmates.

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