### Family of Woman Found Dead in Lemon Grove Ditch Sues San Diego County Sheriff’s Office

The three children of Irma Perez Espinoza, the woman discovered earlier this year in a Lemon Grove ditch, have filed a lawsuit against the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office. They allege the office ignored multiple pleas for help, resulting in Espinoza’s wrongful death.

Espinoza, age 43, died in August. The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court by attorneys Eugene Iredale and Julia Yoo, accuses the Sheriff’s Office of negligence, lying, and a longstanding failure to properly supervise deputies. The lawsuit demands a jury trial to determine damages, arguing that inadequate supervision contributed to Espinoza’s suffering and death.

“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 states. “It was foreseeable that leaving someone in a ditch would cause her to suffer from exposure and die.”

A spokesperson for the Sheriff’s Office declined to comment on the lawsuit.

#### Dispatch Records Reveal Missed Opportunities

According to dispatch records, on a day in late July, someone reported a woman “sitting in ditch” who “has not had food or water.” Neighbor Richard Quinones reported that, although a sheriff’s vehicle approached the area, the deputy soon backed up and drove off without getting out of the car.

When Quinones followed up to say the woman remained in the ditch, he said he received a call from a sheriff’s official who reportedly dismissed his concerns, saying, “She’s a transient. There’s gonna be more, get used to it.”

Espinoza was only brought to a hospital several days later, after Quinones again saw her in the same ditch, this time half-naked and covered in ants. An autopsy later determined that Espinoza was suffering from hypothermia when she was finally rescued.

#### Allegations of Negligence and Discriminatory Practices

The lawsuit alleges supervisors at the Sheriff’s Office were aware deputies were treating unhoused or “transient” people differently than housed people, but “took no action to ensure that their deputies were providing equal services to all people.”

One of the most serious accusations in the lawsuit is that the deputy who responded to the initial welfare call lied when closing out the call. On the morning of July 29, public records document a request for a welfare check on a woman in a ditch. About 30 minutes later, the dispatch record was updated to “GA” — often an abbreviation for “gone on arrival,” meaning deputies couldn’t locate the individual.

According to the lawsuit, “This was a lie.” Despite further calls from the concerned neighbor, the dispatch record ends a few minutes later, with no additional follow-up. The county’s released records were heavily redacted, so it’s unclear why more wasn’t done. Attorneys for Espinoza’s family argue t
https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2025/12/31/family-of-woman-found-in-lemon-grove-ditch-sues-sheriffs-office/