Officials with the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department reported on June 24, 2025, that a death had occurred at the San Bernardino County Central Detention Center jail. Thirty-year-old Willie Toa was discovered unresponsive in his cell at approximately 4:54 a.m. Jail medical staff and deputies provided medical aid, including administering Narcan. Lifesaving measures failed, and Mr. Toa was pronounced deceased. He had been arrested by the Redlands Police Department and placed in San Bernardino County Central Detention Center the day prior to his death.
The Sheriff’s Specialized Investigations Division assumed the investigation into Mr. Toa’s death in response to a request from the jail. Mr. Toa’s manner and cause of death is currently unknown and will be determined by the results of an autopsy.
The address of San Bernardino County Central Detention Center jail is 630 E Rialto Ave, San Bernardino, CA 92415. The jail has a maximum inmate capacity of 276.
Narcan is a Crucial Lifesaving Medication in U.S. Jails
Naloxone (Narcan) rapidly reverses the effects of opioid overdoses and often saves lives in jails. Because a significant percentage of jail detainees have opioid use disorders, the medicine is crucial in that setting. What Narcan does is block the action of fentanyl, heroin, and other opioids such as prescription painkillers, effectively restoring consciousness and breathing.
News often reveals that Narcan has been used in attempts to save lives in the jail setting, though it is not 100% effective, as shown in the following stories.
A 45-Year-Old Inmate Dies on Day 2 in Santa Barbara County Jail
A 45-year-old inmate at Santa Barbara County Jail was found unresponsive and not breathing at about 10:57 p.m. on May 25, 2023. The inmate also had a foamy purge coming from his mouth. Lifesaving measures were begun by deputies and medical staff, including three rounds of Narcan. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) was performed, in addition to the placement of an automated external defibrillator (AED). Others arrived to continue lifesaving procedures, but the decedent did not recover.
Preliminary information indicated that the inmate’s death was likely caused by an opioid overdose. He had been booked into the jail the day before his death.
The address of Santa Barbara County Jail is 4436 Calle Real, Santa Barbara, CA 93110.
7 Inmates at Snohomish County Jail are Given Narcan
At about 7:35 p.m. on May 17, 2023, a corrections deputy saw that an inmate was exhibiting signs of an opioid overdose inside the jail’s housing module. The staff began treating the inmate with multiple doses of Narcan, but they saw that a second inmate also appeared to be experiencing an overdose. In quick succession, the lives of seven inmates were saved through the administration of Narcan. They were transported to a local hospital for further treatment. They were all released from the hospital the following day.
Investigations revealed that a 37-year-old inmate had strips of paper with a white powdery substance in his cell. The paper tested positive for fentanyl. The 37-year-old man was not among the seven who received Narcan.
The spokesperson for the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Department said that corrections deputies with the Snohomish County Jail had been carrying Narcan during on-duty hours since early 2023.
The address of Snohomish County Jail is 3025 Oakes Ave, Everett, WA 98201. The Everett, Washington jail has a total bed capacity of 1,036.
