By Thadeus Greenson
Eureka Times Standard
HUMBOLDT COUNTY, Calif. — A Humboldt County jail inmate died early Thursday morning, just hours after a judge denied a request that she be released on her own recognizance.
The Humboldt County Coroner’s Office identified the deceased inmate as 57-year-old Linda Thomas, also known as Linda Silva. The cause of her death hasn’t been determined, and an autopsy has been scheduled for Sunday morning, according to the coroner’s office.
The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office reported that a correctional officer in the jail’s female unit -- which houses 52 inmates in a single dormitory -- was notified at about 5 a.m. Thursday that one of the dorm’s inmates appeared to be in need of medical assistance. The officer then checked on Thomas and saw that she was not breathing, according to the release, and immediately called for emergency medical assistance. Corrections officers began CPR, according to the release, but Thomas was later pronounced dead at St. Joseph Hospital’s emergency room at 5:40 a.m.
Thomas was arrested March 8 and faced a single charge of assault with a deadly weapon other than a firearm stemming from an allegation that she assaulted someone with a hammer at Chin’s Cafe and Motel, according to Eureka Police Sgt. Steve Watson. Her case was called on Wednesday’s 2 p.m. court calendar, and she appeared, requesting a release on her own recognizance. After the request was denied, according to court records, Thomas was returned to the jail.
In accordance with sheriff’s office policy, the Criminal Investigations Division is investigating Thomas’ death, though there is no indication of foul play, according to sheriff’s office Lt. Steve Knight.
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