MURRIETA, CA — A 46-year-old San Diego Police Officer died outside a Murrieta jail over the weekend, about 90 minutes after he was released from custody following his arrest on suspicion of DUI.
Lawrence David Orso was found unresponsive at 9:53 a.m. Saturday in a parking lot in the 30000 block of Auld Road in French Valley, a community within unincorporated Murrieta. The area is the location of the Cois Byrd Detention Center.
Orso had just been released from that jail on a $2,500 bail bond following his arrest early that morning on suspicion of misdemeanor alcohol-related DUI, according to booking records.
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He was arrested by the California Highway Patrol at 2:19 a.m. Saturday on Murrieta Hot Springs Road near Interstate 215, the jail records show.
He was released from Cois Byrd Detention Center at 8:26 a.m., according to the sheriff’s department.
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Despite efforts by first responders to revive Orso, he was pronounced dead at the scene, the sheriff’s department said.
Though an investigation into Orso’s cause of death is ongoing, the sheriff’s department said foul play is not suspected.
A statement from the San Diego Police Department indicated Orso suffered a medical emergency.
“San Diego Police Officer Lawrence David Orso passed away on September 21, 2024, after suffering a medical emergency. The Riverside Sheriff’s Department notified San Diego Police officials of his passing. The San Diego Police Department is cooperating with the Riverside Sheriff’s Department as we learn more about this incident,” the SDPD statement read.
Orso was a 15-year SDPD veteran. He was hired by the agency on July 27, 2009, and achieved the rank of Police Officer II. He worked as a patrol officer at the department’s Mid-City and Northeastern Divisions, according to the statement.
“His family is in our thoughts and prayers during this difficult time,” the statement continued.
An investigation into Orso’s death is underway by the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department. Anyone with additional information is asked to contact Investigator D. Robertson at 951-955-1777 or the Riverside County sheriff’s dispatch at 951-776-1099.
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