San Diego supervisors seek answers after detainee death at Otay Mesa

San Diego County supervisors expressed concern following the death of a detainee at the Otay Mesa Detention Center, a facility run by the private company CoreCivic, according to the Times of San Diego.

The detainee, identified by KPBS as 43-year-old Roberto Jimenez Gutierrez, was found unresponsive in his cell around 11:30 a.m. Saturday. Medical staff and emergency services responded quickly but pronounced him dead before he could be transported from the facility.

CoreCivic stated it was deeply saddened by the loss and notified U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement immediately, though ICE has not commented on the incident, the Times of San Diego reported.

San Diego County Chair Terra Lawson-Remer sent a formal letter to the federal government demanding full cooperation in investigating the circumstances surrounding the death, according to FOX 5 San Diego.

The county Medical Examiner's Office conducted an autopsy on Monday, but the cause of death has not yet been released, the Times of San Diego noted.

The incident adds to concerns raised by civil rights groups about an increase in deaths in ICE custody at detention centers like Otay Mesa.