In late July, Richard Quinones saw a woman lying in a ditch near the trolley tracks in Lemon Grove, northeast of San Diego.
He called the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office, which dispatched deputies to the area. But they drove off without checking on the woman, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune.
Quinones, a local resident, called the Sheriff’s Office again and was told the woman was a “transient” and that he should leave her alone, the outlet reported.
On Aug. 1, Quinones saw the woman was still in the ditch and phoned authorities again. This time, first responders pulled her out and took her away in an ambulance. The woman, Irma Perez, 43, died two days later.
The San Diego County medical examiner’s office will determine her official cause of death, though that process could take months.
Quinones didn’t respond to a request for comment from The Times. The Sheriff’s Office, however, confirmed receiving calls for a welfare check on July 29 and Aug. 1 near Main Street and Buena Vista Avenue in Lemon Grove.
The Sheriff’s Office said an “administrative investigation” was initiated into the case and that the involved deputy was placed on administrative assignment. The spokesperson declined to provide more details or name the deputy.
“We extend our deepest condolences to the family and loved ones affected,” the office said in a statement.
Perez’s family told ABC-10 News that they think her death could’ve been averted if the sheriff’s office had acted sooner.
“It’s been hard,” Andres Espinoza, Perez’s brother-in-law, told the outlet. “The kids are taking it hard. I’m taking it hard too. We just want justice.”
Perez’s family has also launched a GoFundMe to help raise money for costs related to her death.
“We are raising money for Our mom IRMA unexpected passing, she left behind her three beautiful children, Raquel, Adrian and Ysabella Espinoza,” according to the fundraiser. “Please help us lay her to rest.”
