A San Diego County sheriff's deputy has pleaded not guilty to a charge of bringing drugs onto the premises of a county jail.
Deputy Allen Wereski, 48, was charged under California Penal Code 4573.6 — possession of a controlled substance on jail premises.
The Sheriff’s Department announced his arrest on Feb. 3 in a news release that said suspected cocaine was found in his vehicle at an undisclosed jail location.
In court Monday, prosecutors said Wereski worked inside that jail, but still did not say which one it was.
The case has drawn the attention of community activists who have been demanding answers about dozens of in-custody deaths in recent years. They say all jail employees should be screened for drugs before they go to work.
Sabrina Weddle was one of the activists who came to Monday’s arraignment. Her brother, Saxon Rodriguez, died in 2021.
“Whether it was a substance like cocaine or any other drug, my brother died from a drug that came inside of the jail,” she said. “My brother was scanned and searched but the deputies were not, so I just want answers.”
Wereski has been suspended without pay since his arrest. If convicted, he faces a possible sentence of four years in prison.
