Alameda County sheriff’s deputy dies of COVID-19 complications

July 24, 2020 steven

A senior deputy with the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office died Thursday evening, the sheriff’s office said. The cause was complications related to COVID-19, according to sheriff’s spokesman Sgt. Ray Kelly.

Deputy Oscar Rocha, 57, had been in critical condition in an area hospital’s intensive care unit for nearly three weeks, and had worked most of his 25-year career in either the Rene C. Davidson Courthouse in Oakland or the Santa Rita Jail.

The sheriff’s department had seen at least 40 deputies test positive for the novel coronavirus recently while more than a hundred inmates at Santa Rita have tested positive in an ongoing outbreak.

In a social media post, the sheriff’s honor guard paid tribute to Rocha, saying, “RIP brother, you’ll be greatly missed.”

In a tweet, a tweet, Rep. Eric Swalwell shared his condolences: “I am saddened to learn of the passing of @ACSOSheriffs Deputy Oscar Rocha to #Covid_19. May his memory always be a blessing.”

And in a tweet late Thursday, the department said: “It is with tremendous sadness we report Alameda County Deputy Sheriff Oscar Rocha passed away this evening at 6:45pm from complications due to COVID-19. He put up a courageous fight to the end and will never be forgotten. May he rest in eternal peace. [End of watch] 7/23/20.”

It is with tremendous sadness we report Alameda County Deputy Sheriff Oscar Rocha passed away this evening at 6:45pm from complications due to COVID-19. He put up a courageous fight to the end and will never be forgotten. May he rest in eternal peace. EOW 7/23/20.

— Alameda County Sheriff (@ACSOSheriffs) July 24, 2020

I am saddened to learn of the passing of @ACSOSheriffs Deputy Oscar Rocha to #Covid_19. May his memory always be a blessing. https://t.co/vb1dorLGg5

— Rep. Eric Swalwell (@RepSwalwell) July 24, 2020