Ventura County jail inmate arrested for elder abuse dies during hospital stay

Officials announced Wednesday that an inmate of the Ventura County’s jail system died during a hospital stay in January.

The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office said the man, identified as 69-year-old Cory Meade of Thousand Oaks, was receiving “advanced medical care” at the Santa Paula Hospital.

According to the VC Star, Meade had a few recent convictions, such as a misdemeanor elder abuse and drug possession case from November 2024.

“He had pleaded no contest to the two charges on Dec. 11,” reported the VC Star.

The news publication said that during Meade’s sentencing on Dec. 18, he was released on 36 months probation with a suspended sentence.

However, on Jan. 10, the VC Star said, “After county probation officials reported violations, he was ordered to serve 120 days in jail, the docket showed.” Meade was housed at the Todd Road Jail outside Santa Paula.

The sheriff’s office said Meade was under the care of the Santa Paula Hospital since Jan. 23, and died around 6:18 p.m. on Jan. 24.

The VC Star reported Meade was originally taken to the hospital for previously existing medical conditions unrelated to his jail stay.

While the sheriff’s office said on Wednesday that the cause of death is under investigation and pending autopsy results, the VC Star reported Meade died from multiple conditions.

“The Ventura County Medical Examiner’s Office on Wednesday reported the cause of death as pneumonia, influenza A and Staphylococcus aureus with other significant conditions as congestive heart failure, pulmonary emphysema and hypertension,” said the VC Star. “The manner of death was deemed natural.”

The Sheriff’s Major Crimes Bureau will still investigate Meade’s death, as it said it does with all inmate deaths.