From the Office of the Sheriff:
The county-wide law enforcement involved fatal incident protocol has been invoked for an in-custody death at the Martinez Detention Facility this afternoon.
At about 5:08 PM, a deputy sheriff found an inmate unresponsive in his cell on B module. He immediately requested Contra Costa Health jail medical staff respond, as deputies started life-saving measures. The fire department and an ambulance also responded. The inmate was later pronounced deceased at the scene.
The inmate is identified as 62-year-old Victor Jose Faria, an unhoused person. He was arrested by the Contra Costa Sheriff’s Office on January 15, 2026 for trespassing and felony probation violation and booked into MDF.
Per the protocol, this is being investigated by the Contra Costa Sheriff’s Office and the Contra Costa D.A.’s Office.
On January 8, 2026, at about 5:38a.m., medical staff at the Martinez Detention Facility responded to a housing module in answer to a report of an inmate inflicting self-harm.
The inmate, Kirk Richardson, 61, of Concord, had sustained injuries to his head as a result of deliberate contact with a hard surface. The fire department and an ambulance were called to transport Richardson to a local hospital, where he was medically cleared.
Richardson was reportedly uncooperative with deputy sheriffs during transfer back to MDF, where he was given medication of unspecified nature my medical staff.
At about 5:48p.m., a deputy sheriff found Richardson unconscious inside his cell. Jail medical staff responded while deputies performed CPR. The fire department and an ambulance also responded and later declared the inmate deceased.
Richardson was arrested by the Concord Police Department for the murder of his parents on New Years Day. He was booked into MDF on two counts of murder and had been held since that time.
