The family of Breanna Esparza, 29, has sued Sandoval County over her death at the Sandoval County Detention Center in New Mexico. Esparza was booked in May 2024 after her probation officer allegedly found Suboxone strips in her bedroom. She died of a fentanyl overdose on May 29, 2024 — hours before her scheduled release. The lawsuit alleges negligence and security failures by jail staff, claiming the facility allowed contraband fentanyl to reach Esparza while she was in custody. The case raises questions about the jail's screening procedures, supervision protocols, and duty of care owed to detainees.
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Media Coverage · April 19, 2026
Breanna Esparza, 29, died of a fentanyl overdose inside the Sandoval County Detention Center on May 29, 2024 — hours before her scheduled release. Her family has filed a wrongful death suit alleging the jail failed to keep drugs out and failed to protect her. Esparza had been booked three weeks earlier after her probation officer found Suboxone strips in her bedroom; her 14-year-old son is now in his grandparents'
newspaper Read articleNEWS Family sues Sandoval County jail over woman's overdose Lawsuit alleges negligence and security failures after inmate died in 2024 In May 2024, Breanna Esparza was booked into the Sandoval County Detention Center after her probation officer allegedly found Suboxone strips in her bedroom. The 29-year-old was scheduled to be released from the facility three weeks after her arrest. Esparza died behind bars from a fentanyl overdose just hours before she was to be released on May 29, 2024, accord
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Breanna Esparza, 29, died of a fentanyl overdose inside the Sandoval County Detention Center on May 29, 2024 — hours before her scheduled release. Her family has filed a wrongful death suit alleging the jail failed to keep drugs out and failed to protect her. Esparza had been booked three weeks earlier after her probation officer found Suboxone strips in her bedroom; her 14-year-old son is now in his grandparents' care.
NEWS Family sues Sandoval County jail over woman's overdose Lawsuit alleges negligence and security failures after inmate died in 2024 In May 2024, Breanna Esparza was booked into the Sandoval …
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