DUBLIN — A 44-year-old Oakland man accused of beating a woman to death died over the weekend at the Santa Rita Jail in Dublin after he experienced a medical emergency, authorities said.
Arrested and booked into the facility on Feb. 3, Jeffrey McMaster was initially found suffering from a seizure on May 25, according to the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office. He was taken to an area hospital and cleared to return to the jail Saturday.
McMaster was taken to the jail’s outpatient housing unit, where he underwent a medical screening at 11:40 a.m., authorities said. During the screening, McMaster said he needed to use the restroom, and deputies escorted him to a cell that had one.
A short time later, deputies heard a noise coming from the cell and found McMaster on the floor experiencing a medical emergency, according to the sheriff’s office. Deputies began life-saving measures and requested emergency medical services.
Emergency medical personnel arrived at the jail and continued life-saving measures, but McMaster was ultimately pronounced dead at 12:46 p.m., authorities said.
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The circumstances surrounding the incident are still under investigation, according to the sheriff’s office. Authorities said a forensic pathologist will determine McMaster’s cause of death after an autopsy and any necessary toxicology testing.
The Alameda County District Attorney’s Office was notified, and the sheriff’s office plans to report the death to the California Attorney General’s Office, as required by law.
McMaster had been charged with murder in connection with the fatal beating of Leslie Marshall, 49, of Oakland, at a residential hotel in the 2300 block of San Pablo Avenue in Oakland on Feb. 2. McMaster and Marshall both lived at the facility.
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