Community Corner
Coroner: Jail Death Was Heart Attack
The 59-year-old Aptos man was awaiting booking at the jail Saturday morning when he collapsed and died.
An Aptos man who died while waiting to be booked into the Santa Cruz County Jail on suspicion of driving under the influence Saturday morning had a heart attack, the Coroner's Office reported.
Rickey Pritchard collapsed in the booking are of the jail on Water Street in Santa Cruz around 6:38 a.m. Saturday.
"He was sitting quietly, had just been fingerprinted," Lt. Jeremy Verinsky, Main Jail commander, said.
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Cause of death was cardiac arrhythmia caused by thrombotic occlusion of a coronary artery, with contributing factors of coronary arteriosclerosis and hypertensive and arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease, according to the Sheriff's Office.
Outside contributing factors were ruled out; he had not been in a car crash, detained with force or stunned with a Tazer, according to Verinsky. Also, Pritchard had a family history of heart disease.
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"It could have happened anywhere, anytime," Verinsky said.
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