In late July, Richard Quinones saw a woman lying in a ditch near the trolley track in Lemon Grove in northeastern San Diego.
He called the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office, which dispatched representatives to the area. But they drove to drive without checking the woman. San Diego United Tribune.
According to media reports, local resident Quinonnis called the sheriff’s office again and was told that the woman was “short-term” and that he should leave her alone.
On August 1, Quinones saw the woman still in the ditch and called the authorities again. This time, the emergency personnel pulled her out and took her away from the ambulance. The 43-year-old Irma Perez died two days later.
The San Diego County Medical Examiner’s Office will determine her official cause of death, although the process may take several months.
Quinns did not respond to a request for comment from The New York Times. However, the Sheriff’s Office confirmed that it had received calls for benefits checks near Buena Vista Avenue, Main Street and Lemon Grove on July 29 and August 1.
The Sheriff’s Office said the case was conducted with an “administrative investigation” and was placed in administrative tasks. The spokesperson declined to provide more details or name the agent.
“We are affected to families and loved ones,” the office said in a statement.
Perez’s family Tell ABC-10 News They believe her death could have been avoided if the sheriff’s office had acted early.
“It’s hard,” Perez’s brother-in-law Andres Espinoza told the media. “The kids are working hard. I’m working hard, too. We just want justice.”
Perez’s family also launched a Gofundme to help raise the costs associated with her death.
“We are passing away unexpectedly for mom’s Irma, who has left three beautiful children, Raquel, Adrian and Ysabella Espinoza,” the fundraiser said. “Please help us give her a rest.”
