A quiet Saturday night at the San Pablo Lytton Casino took a tragic turn when a 70-year-old man died after being taken into police custody. The incident began with a simple request: casino security asked police to remove a banned patron who refused to leave.
Casino staff reported the man, a resident of El Cerrito, was actively resisting their attempts to escort him off the property. Before police arrived, security had already restrained and handcuffed the individual, detaining him on-site.
San Pablo Police officers arrived and took custody of the man for trespassing, transporting him to the county jail. Crucially, the police report states officers did not use any force during the arrest itself.
The situation rapidly deteriorated while the man was at the jail. He experienced a sudden, unexplained medical emergency, prompting immediate intervention from jail personnel and paramedics.
Despite swift and comprehensive medical attention, including transport to a local hospital, the man was pronounced dead. The circumstances surrounding his medical crisis remain unknown at this time.
A full investigation is now underway, a standard procedure in Contra Costa County for in-custody deaths. The investigation is being jointly conducted by the San Pablo Police Department and the County District Attorney’s Office.
Authorities are currently withholding the man’s identity pending notification of his family. The investigation aims to determine the sequence of events and contributing factors leading to his death.
In a separate incident, months earlier, a different individual attempted a desperate escape involving the same casino. Christopher Andalis, 45, led authorities on a chase before seeking refuge inside the San Pablo Lytton Casino.
Andalis was apprehended after allegedly evading police in a vehicle and was found to be in possession of a significant quantity of methamphetamine, packaged for sale. The pursuit was aided by aerial surveillance from the California Highway Patrol.
While both incidents occurred at the San Pablo Lytton Casino, officials have stated there is currently no indication of any connection between the two cases. The investigation into the man’s death remains the primary focus.
The police department encourages anyone with information related to the in-custody death to come forward and assist with the ongoing investigation.
