Officials identify inmate who died in Modesto jail cell

The man found dead in a Modesto jail cell Sunday afternoon has been identified as Ronald Schade, 53, of Modesto.

Authorities don't know how Schade died, said Stanislaus County sheriff's Lt. Mario Cisneros. An autopsy is scheduled this morning, according to the Stanislaus County coroner's office.

Schade was arrested by Stanislaus County sheriff's deputies Saturday night and put in a cell in the downtown jail. He was discovered dead in his cell shortly after 2 p.m. Sunday.

Schade was arrested on a suspected parole violation after he gave false information to sheriff's deputies. He was placed in a general population cell at the jail. Such cells typically hold about 10 inmates, Cisneros said.

Detectives are investigating Schade's death. They've interviewed the inmates who shared Schade's cell.

"They'll conduct an investigation to rule out any foul play and determine if any crime was committed," Cisneros said.

Schade did not struggle with deputies when he was arrested or inside the jail. No force was used against him and there were no reports of fights with other inmates, Cisneros said. There was no bruising visible on Schade's body when he was discovered and no signs of a struggle, he said.

"There was nothing unusual about the arrest, and no Taser or other type of force was used," Cisneros said.

Three other Stanislaus County jail inmates have died in the past year:

- Alton Warren Ham, 45, of Oklahoma died in September at the jail after jailers used a Taser to subdue him while he was being moved to another cell.

- Manuel Dante Dent, 27, of Modesto died of meth intoxication in August. Dent swallowed a small plastic bag full of meth as arresting officers pursued him. He was found unconscious in his jail cell the next day and died shortly afterward.

- Craig Prescott, 38, of Modesto died in April after jailers used Tasers and pepper spray to subdue him during an altercation as they tried to move him to a safety cell. Prescott was taken to a Modesto hospital, where he was pronounced dead two days later.

Bee staff writer Leslie Albrecht can be reached at lalbrecht@modbee.com or 578-2378. Follow her at Twitter.com/BeeReporter.