Coroner: Calif. Inmate Drinks Fatal Amount of Water

An autopsy reveals an inmate who died after being found struggling to breathe at a Northern California jail drank a fatal amount of water.
 
According to the Sacramento Bee, Yolo County coroner's officials concluded last week that 29-year-old Todd Phillips died in May of brain swelling due to acute hyponatremia, or abnormally low sodium in the blood because of the presence of too much fluid.
 
Officials were not able to determine how or why Phillips consumed so much fluid. Yolo County authorities have ruled out foul play, and there were no drugs in his system.
 
Phillips was being held at the Monroe Detention Center in Woodland on suspicion of misdemeanor and felony drug offenses. Sheriff's officials say he had long struggled with schizophrenia and drug abuse and had been on a suicide watch in the weeks before his death.
 

 

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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