San Diego
Saying the evidence just isn’t strong enough, federal prosecutors confirmed Thursday that they have decided not to prosecute six San Diego County sheriff’s deputies in the 1988 choking death of a Latino jail inmate.
A “careful review” prompted the conclusion that the deputies lacked criminal intent in the death of Albert Varela, 28, of Lakeside, federal prosecutors said in a three-paragraph letter announcing the decision not to prosecute the six deputies.
Varela died after a fight with deputies in the downtown County Jail, and U.S. Attorney William Braniff said in an interview that the fight “certainly was a confrontational situation.” But there was not enough proof that the deputies acted with the intent to harm Varela, Braniff said.
The outcome of the lengthy federal investigation, disclosed Thursday in The Times, follows earlier reviews by the Sheriff’s Department and the county district attorney that cleared the deputies of wrongdoing.
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