If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis, call the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by dialing 9-8-8.
FRESNO, Calif. – The family of a young man who attempted suicide in the Fresno County Jail is taking legal action against the county.
Kane Anthony Rubio, a 22-year-old man, was being held at the Fresno County Jail after his arrest on June 11 on charges related to an alleged domestic dispute.
But he was found hanging on June 14 in his cell. He was taken to the hospital, where he remained for 17 days before being declared brain dead on July 1.
Kane's family — including his mother, Crystal Rivas, 40 — learned of his condition hours later from another inmate who was on another floor.
After she received the notification, Rivas said she spoke with a watch commander approximately three hours later.
“The sheriff, I didn’t talk to them until the next day,” Rivas said.
The family is now seeking accountability from Fresno County and the Fresno County Sheriff's Office.
"We're demanding that the family be provided with answers . . . for failing to protect inmates," Attorney Denisse O. Gastélum said. She is representing the family in the legal matter.
The family presented a government claim against the county on July 8 – the first step before potentially pursuing a civil rights lawsuit. The family could also settle the case before suing.
The family contends that Rubio had suicidal thoughts and showed signs of a psychiatric crisis while in custody.
One thing the family hopes to accomplish with their action is to call attention to other inmates facing the same issues.
"This should not have happened," Rivas, Rubio’s mother, said. "I just want justice . . . I don't want this to happen to anybody else."
Rubio left behind his younger brother, 18-year-old Joey Sanchez, who said he wishes the jail staff had better monitored his brother.
52-year-old Hope Posas, Rubio’s godmother, said the family intends to at least keep Rubio’s memory alive as the family seeks answers and grieves.
"We will keep fighting . . . and we will not give up. I love you, mijo," Posas said.
KVPR left calls and emails to the sheriff’s office seeking comment but did not hear back by Friday.
