A federal jury has awarded $13.5 million to the family of Richard Matus Jr., a murder suspect who died of a fentanyl overdose in a Southern California jail cell in August 2022. The jury's verdict on Wednesday concluded a wrongful death lawsuit filed by Matus's family against Riverside County and its Sheriff's Department.
The lawsuit alleged that deputies at the Cois M. Byrd Detention Center did not act promptly when Matus, who was awaiting trial on attempted murder charges, experienced an overdose. According to the family's attorney, Christian Contreras, Matus ingested "pruno," a homemade prison alcohol, laced with fentanyl on the night of August 10, 2022. Approximately an hour later, his cellmate reported Matus was in distress, triggering an emergency intercom call at 11:17 p.m. The family claims jail staff responded dismissively, with one deputy allegedly stating, "Stop bugging," before ending the call.
The jury determined the total damages to be $13.5 million, intended for Matus's son, daughter, and mother. However, the jurors also found Matus 60% responsible for his own death. Consequently, his family is expected to receive 40% of the total award, amounting to nearly $5.4 million.
Richard Matus Jr., who was 29 at the time of his death, was accused along with his brother, Raymond Emilio Paul Matus, in a 2018 cannabis store robbery that resulted in two people being stabbed and one nearly shot. Raymond Matus was convicted of attempted murder for the crime two years after Richard's death.
Lisa Matus, Richard's mother, expressed a sense of vindication, stating that the verdict brought forth the truth and would fuel continued advocacy for changes and oversight within the correctional system. The family's attorney, Denisse O. Gastélum, emphasized that the verdict signals that "these lives matter. Constitutional obligations matter. And there must be consequences when the government fails the people in its custody."
Matus is survived by his two children, who testified during the trial about the impact of his death on their lives. The 2022 mortality rate in Riverside County jail facilities reached its highest point in 20 years, with 18 inmate deaths recorded that year.