San Diego
A 61-year-old retired grocery manager died Saturday after passing out in police custody, authorities said.
Herbert Sewald of San Diego may have died of an accidental overdose of prescription medications and alcohol, a spokesman for the San Diego County coroner’s office said. An autopsy is planned.
Police are investigating, and they provided the following account:
Just before 1 p.m. Saturday, police responsed to a call from a motor scooter shop on University Avenue, where they found Sewald passed out inside a display case.
He was taken to the city detoxification center, which would not accept him because he appeared too debilitated. Officers took him to police headquarters to obtain approval to take him to County Jail, but Sewald stopped breathing while in the back seat of the police car. He was rushed to Physicians & Surgeons Hospital, where he was declared dead.
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