The daughter of an Anaheim man allegedly stomped to death by an inmate at Orange County’s Intake Release Center is suing the county for wrongful death.
Maritza Salas Pulido filed suit Monday, April 13, in Orange County Superior Court for the February 2025 death of her father, Juan Vasquez Pulido.
Pulido, 38, was arrested on a drug charge by Anaheim police on Feb. 2, 2025, and taken to the Intake Release Center for booking into the jail, according to the suit. Pulido was asleep in a holding cell waiting with other inmates to be assigned housing when he was allegedly attacked by Irving Josue Morales, 24.
According to a transcript of Morales’ preliminary hearing, Morales allegedly stomped on Pulido’s head three to four dozen times, punched him in the head, slammed his head, and then heel stomped his head 20 more times. The alleged attack was caught on security video and Pulido never appeared to fight back.
“It was an incredibly brutal attack,” said attorney Kevin O’Hara, representing Maritza Pulido. “He was laying down, potentially sleeping. This sort of thing, shouldn’t be happening. Mr. Pulido wasn’t a career criminal. He wasn’t going to be there long.”
Pulido lost consciousness in the holding cell and was taken to a hospital, where he was put in a medically induced coma and died 16 days later.
The lawsuit accuses the Sheriff’s Department of negligence, failing to conduct adequate safety checks and failing to appropriately supervise inmates. The department declined to comment on the pending litigation.
Morales, who has pleaded not guilty to one count of murder, is scheduled to face trial beginning Monday, April 20.