Foul play is not suspected in the death of a San Luis Obispo man with a long criminal history who was locked up at the County Jail at the time.
According to Sheriff’s spokesman, Tony Cipolla, on Saturday, March 14 sometime before 9 p.m., County Jail medical staff was making the rounds handing out medications to inmates when they came upon one man who was in “medical distress.”
“Custody and nursing staff immediately attempted to render medical aid and CPR,” Cipolla said, “until paramedics arrived.”
The man never regained consciousness, Cipolla said, and paramedics pronounced him dead at 8:59 p.m.
The inmate was identified as Trenidad Castilleja, 48 of SLO.
SLO Police arrested Castilleja on Dec. 18, 2024, Cipolla said, and he was in custody on three separate cases.
“Two cases,” Cipolla said, “had been resolved, and he was pending sentencing on the third at the time of his death.”
He had a long history of getting into trouble.
“Castilleja had a long history of being booked into the jail,” Cipolla said, “with more than 24 such occurrences since 1998.”
The official cause of death was awaiting the results of an autopsy, Cipolla said.
Castilleja’s death is the first one at the County Jail in 2026.
