An East Bay family is demanding transparency and preparing to take legal action after a man was allegedly killed at the Santa Rita Jail. They say he suffered with mental illness and didn't receive the proper care.
The family of 39-year-old Yuri Brand said they received a terrifying call early Wednesday morning from a sheriff’s deputy.
“He said: ‘your son is dead.’ That’s all he said and I of course, ‘How? Where is he? How did he die?’” said Erica Edgerly, the victim’s mother.
The family’s questions remain unanswered.
According to deputies, Brand was found unresponsive in his cell Wednesday afternoon. The cause of death is under investigation. They added that the suspect was his cellmate, 33-year-old Bryson Levy.
“I want to know how someone who has serious mental health issues is put in a cell with another inmate,” said Kendra Eaglin, the victim’s cousin.
Family members said that Brand had a long history of suffering with mental health problems going in and out of jail.
Brand’s most recent arrest was last Friday after allegedly breaking into a home in Piedmont, living in it for two days and then, attempting to break into another home.
Edgerly said the timing of her son’s death is suspect and the family has decided to hire an attorney when they realized they weren’t getting answers.
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“When my cousin called, he wasn’t even on the Santa Rita roster. So, that’s a red flag for me,” she said. “Secondly, he was supposed to go to court and he never showed up. That’s a red flag for me.”
“They’re told that he didn’t make it to court because he refused and then, when you then try to follow up, they are telling you he may have left Santa Rita Jail. But they don’t tell you he left Santa Rita Jail in a body bag. That's a problem. We must do better,” said Adante Pointer, the family’s attorney.
Pointer calls the incident a “stonewalling of information.”
Brand’s family says it's another example of a broken system and they’re prepared to take any necessary legal action.
