Man processed at Fresno jail left before coronavirus test came back. It was positive

UPDATE: The man sought by Fresno County health officials because he tested positive for the coronavirus after being brought to the Fresno County Jail has been found, sheriff’s spokesman Tony Botti said Thursday afternoon.

A man who was arrested Friday on auto theft charges has tested positive for coronavirus, but may not know that he is carrying the disease, Fresno County sheriff’s officials say.

At least four law-enforcement personnel are in quarantine because of the case. Investigators from the Fresno County Department of Public Health have assigned an investigator to track the man down, according to sheriff’s spokesman Tony Botti.

Botti said correctional staff at the Fresno County Jail, medical staff and the Fresno police officers who arrested the suspect have been notified about his positive test. The man was not placed in the jail, and officials were not aware of the positive test until Tuesday.

The man’s identity was not released because of concerns over federal HIPAA regulations that protect patient privacy. The Fresno County Department of Public Health assigned an investigator who was in contact with the man’s family, Botti said.

Botti said police brought the 18-year-old to the jail after the arrest, but he was exhibiting symptoms consistent with coronavirus, so he was directed to a hospital by medical staff. Suspects brought to the jail are routinely evaluated for symptoms before they are booked into the jail.

He was given a test for COVID-19, the coronavirus, and returned to the jail, where he was placed in an isolated cell, just off the booking area for about an hour, said Botti. He qualified for a $0 bail release, in line with guidelines issued by the state Judicial Council, so he was released.

The area where he was housed was immediately cleaned, said Botti, and he was not in contact with other inmates. The booking area is routinely closed every morning for a cleaning and sterilization.

Fresno police spokesman Jeff La Blue said Wednesday that four officers and a police dog who came into contact with the auto theft suspect during his arrest are in quarantine. In total, the department has seven officers in quarantine because of coronavirus-related contacts.

La Blue noted that Fresno police arrested the same man March 3 for the same offense but that he was released from jail.

This story was originally published April 15, 2020 at 9:49 AM.