The San Luis Obispo County Jail inmate who died last week from an apparent suicide was ordered to undergo a mental health evaluation just days earlier, according to court records filed in San Luis Obispo Superior Court.
Michael Nonella, 47, was found unresponsive Saturday in his single-occupancy cell.
Authorities believe Nonella used his bed sheets to hang himself, according to a press release.
Life-saving measures were unsuccessful and Nonella, who was booked at the jail July 25 for violating his post-release supervision order, was pronounced dead.
An order to have Nonella undergo a mental health evaluation was filed by his probation officer and signed by a judge Aug. 22. It’s unclear what led to the order or if the order was ever fulfilled.
Authorities said two other inmates at the jail attempted suicide on Aug. 18 but were interrupted by deputies.
At the Wednesday unveiling of a new Medical Programs Unit at the jail, San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s officials declined to comment on Nonella’s case.
