By Brian Rokos
The Press-Enterprise
SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. — The daughter of an Upland man who died after an attack by a fellow inmate in a San Bernardino jail in 2023 has settled a lawsuit against the county for $1.75 million, her attorney said.
Judge Kenly Kiya Kato, after the agreement was reached, dismissed the case on Tuesday, Oct. 7 , court records show. The case was filed on July 11, 2024, in U.S. District Court in Riverside.
Adam Preston Adams, 56, was killed by cellmate Marco Antonio Lopez-Hernandez, 29, at West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga on May 21, 2023, according to a statement on the case filed jointly by both sides.
Lopez-Hernandez has pleaded not guilty and not guilty by reason of insanity to a murder charge, court records show.
Adams suffered from mental health issues, including schizophrenia, that left him vulnerable to violent inmates, according to attorneys Denisse Gastélum and Christian Contreras, who represented Adams’ daughter, Jennifer Quintero.
Yet correctional deputies, despite knowing that Lopez-Hernandez had a violent history, failed to protect Adams, the wrongful death lawsuit said.
In a separate criminal case unrelated to the homicide, Lopez-Hernandez, of Upland, is fighting accusations of obstructing an executive officer and attempting to remove the weapon of a peace officer. He has pleaded not guilty and not guilty by reason of insanity in that case, as well.
From June 2018 through March 2023, six inmates died from attacks by other inmates in county jails, the lawsuit asserted.
“For Adams’ daughter, Jennifer Quintero, this settlement represents an important step toward justice, but no amount of money can bring her father back,” Gastélum said in a written statement. “People do not lose their constitutional rights when they enter a jail, and their lives do not become less valuable. We hope this case serves as a reminder that protecting the lives of those in custody is not optional. It is a fundamental responsibility of our government.”
The county denied negligence.
“Plaintiff has not provided any specific allegations about where the deficient policies can be found, nor have they explained how these alleged deficiencies caused Mr. Adams’ death,” the county wrote in a court filing.
The county had not confirmed the amount of the settlement as of Friday afternoon.
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