Family of woman found in Lemon Grove ditch sues Sheriff’s Office

The three children of the woman found earlier this year in a Lemon Grove ditch have sued the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office for allegedly ignoring pleas for help.

Irma Perez Espinoza, 43, died in August. The lawsuit accuses the department of lying and negligence in Espinoza’s “wrongful death.” It also alleges that a longstanding failure to properly supervise deputies contributed to Espinoza’s suffering, among other accusations.

“It was foreseeable that a woman left alone in a weakened state with no food or water would be unable to defend herself,” the filing says. “It was foreseeable that leaving someone in a ditch would cause her to suffer from exposure and die.”

A representative for the Sheriff’s Office declined comment.

The lawsuit was filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court by attorneys Eugene Iredale and Julia Yoo. It asks for a jury trial to determine an unspecified amount of damages.

The county has in recent years spent almost $158 million on legal payouts. Most of that total, nearly $95 million, involved accusations of misconduct by sheriff’s personnel, and Tuesday’s lawsuit suggests that Espinoza’s death resulted from similar issues.