Inmate Dies at California Jail Facility

Sheriff's homicide detectives are investigating the death of an inmate who deputies found Monday without a pulse at a county jail facility.

Feb. 15, 2012

Feb. 14--RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif. -- Sheriff's homicide detectives are investigating the death of an inmate who deputies found Monday without a pulse at a county jail facility.

A deputy working at West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga found inmate Keith Lerman Youngsma, 62, down without a pulse in his cell about 12:15 p.m. Monday, according to a news release issued San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department.

Deputies performed CPR on Youngsma before paramedics arrived and rushed him to Kaiser Hospital in Fontana. Doctors there pronounced him dead at 1:05 p.m.

Youngsma's death does not appear to be suspicious and the county coroner will conduct an autopsy to determine the cause of death.

Redlands police arrested Youngsma, a transient, Friday after he allegedly set fire to a bag of trash in the doorway of a business in the 100 block of State Street, officials said.

The blaze was small enough that a street sweeper put it out but it caused about $7,000 in damage to the business property.