Jan 27, 2026
San Diego homicide detectives released Tuesday the name of a 52-year-old man who died shortly after he was detained by El Cajon police earlier this month, as well as the names of the five officers who participated in his detainment. Qui Ly, a Virginia resident, died shortly after officers responded to a report of a man running into lanes of traffic and yelling for help on Magnolia Avenue near West Chase Avenue around 6 a.m. Jan. 4, said Lt. Lou Maggi. The officers involved in Ly’s detainment are Brian Valadez, Alma Benevidez, Malala Sapini, Ian Gilliom and Sgt. James Juns, Maggi said. Juns has been with the department for 24 years, and the officers’ individual tenures with the department range from 1½ to four years. According to Maggi, shortly after police arrived, Ly refused to follow their orders and lay face down in the street. Officers then handcuffed the man and placed restraints on his ankles, Maggi said. Paramedics were called to the scene to evaluate the man, but before they arrived, officers reported that Ly had become unresponsive. The officers administered Naloxone, a medication commonly known by the brand name Narcan, in hopes of reversing the symptoms of a possible overdose, investigators said. The officers also performed CPR, but Ly never regained consciousness, Maggi said. Ly was taken to a hospital, where he died nearly two weeks later, investigators said. Because the officers used force to subdue Ly, investigators are treating the incident as an in-custody death, Maggi said. San Diego police homicide detectives are now handling the investigation under a countywide memorandum that prevents local agencies from investigating their own in-custody deaths. When the homicide unit completes its investigation, it will be reviewed by the District Attorney’s Office to determine if the officers bear any criminal liability for their actions. The El Cajon Police Department will also conduct an administrative investigation into the actions of the officers. ...read more read less
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