82-year-old inmate at San Diego Central Jail died of natural causes, autopsy shows

An 82-year-old inmate who died earlier this year while in Sheriff’s Office custody succumbed to natural causes, according to an autopsy released by the county Medical Examiner’s Office on Thursday.

Thomas Richard Heaven of San Diego died while under the supervision of the sheriff’s Hospital Guard Unit at a hospital April 24 while he was awaiting sentencing for multiple counts of committing lewd acts on a minor under age 14, homicide Lt. Juan Marquez said.

Heaven had been originally transferred from Central Jail to a hospital March 17 due to him having high blood pressure and a high heart rate, Marquez said. He was then transferred to the sheriff’s hospital unit on April 7.

The autopsy determined he died due to sepsis from a blood infection, with cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases and type 2 diabetes being contributing factors, Marquez said.

Heaven was set to be sentenced May 5.

The case is being investigated by the sheriff’s Homicide Unit, and the Citizens Law Enforcement Review Board was notified of Heaven’s death, the Sheriff’s Office said.