GOLDEN — Roughly eight hours after Jennifer Lobato first told deputies at the Jefferson County jail she was ill, her cellmate reported she was vomiting.
A deputy who arrived said something to the effect of, “That’s why you shouldn’t do drugs,” a sheriff’s office investigation found. Officials say the exact remarks aren’t known.
Two hours later, Lobato, 37, lay motionless on the floor of her cell, dead.
“This is something we don’t want to happen in this jail ever again,” Sheriff Jeff Shrader said in an interview on Thursday. “That is our focus. What can we learn, what can we do better and how can we prevent a tragedy like this from ever happening again?”
The sheriff’s office has placed three deputies on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of its investigation. Shrader called Lobato’s death “potentially preventable.”
Lobato was booked into jail the afternoon of March 1 after she was arrested on suspicion of shoplifting $57 of merchandise from an Old Navy clothing store in Lakewood. Court records show she was arrested with her 16-year-old son.
She reported feeling ill March 2 as she was preparing for a first court appearance in her case, telling a deputy she felt too unwell to go, according to Shrader. The deputy encouraged her, however, and she went before a judge, Shrader said.
When she returned, Lobato again complained of feeling sick, telling jail staff she was withdrawing from “meth.” Shrader said authorities have not determined if Lobato meant methamphetamine or methadone.
The sheriff’s office said Lobato did not indicate she suffered from addiction or was facing withdrawal when she was booked into the jail, although the arrest affidavit says she told an officer the day of her arrest that she was a heroin addict and was “having a hard time.”
Officials have said she was scheduled to be seen for medical care during normal rounds.
But at about 7:15 p.m. on March 2, Lobato’s cellmate noticed she wasn’t moving. The cellmate pushed an emergency button in their cell to notify deputies. Efforts to revive Lobato were fruitless.
She had not yet been seen by a medical professional.
“There are things that we have learned on the conduct of some employees that don’t reflect the values of the organization, and there will likely be discipline for those,” Shrader said of the remarks made to Lobato while she was ill.
The remarks were first reported by KCNC-TV.
The sheriff’s office says its investigation is centering on the cause of Lobato’s death, staff actions and the jail’s contracted medical provider, Nashville, Tenn.-based Correct Care Solutions. Correct Care Solutions could not be reached for comment Thursday evening.
The sheriff’s office says it plans to hire a liaison to the health care provider.
Lobato’s death remains under review by the county coroner’s office, which is awaiting the results of toxicology tests.
Colorado Bureau of Investigation records show Lobato had a criminal record dating to 2005 that included arrests for theft and aggravated robbery.
But childhood friend Vicki Trujillo said Lobato was a married mother of seven and was working to turn her life around by “cleaning up” and being there more for her kids. Friends and family buried Lobato on Thursday.
A rally is planned at the jail Saturday.
“I am mindful that as difficult as it might be for us to deal with, it’s a much more difficult time for the Lobato family,” Shrader said. “I am truly sorry for their loss.”
Jesse Paul: 303-954-1733 or jpaul@denverpost.com
