Coyote Ridge inmate dies from COVID-19

CONNELL, Wash.-- The Washington State Department of Corrections announced Thursday night that an inmate at the Coyote Ridge Corrections Center in Connell has died from complications related to COVID-19, marking the first incarcerated patient in the state to die from the illness.

Victor Bueno, 63, had been transported to a local medical center on May 31, 2020 for treatment of COVID-19 where he remained until his death.

According to a press release, Bueno entered the correctional system on Sept. 28, 2017 for a protection order violation out of Kitsap County. His estimated release date had been Sept. 19, 2020. Bueno was housed in long-term minimum custody at the Medium Security Complex of Coyote Ridge Corrections Center (CRCC) in Connell.

“The Department of Corrections is saddened by this loss,” said Corrections Secretary Stephen Sinclair. “The health and safety of the incarcerated individuals, the community and our staff remains our top priority.”

On June 11, 2020, the CRCC Medium Security Complex was placed on restricted movement to further contain the spread of COVID-19 across the incarcerated population and staff. On June 17, 2020, the facility announced plans to test all staff and incarcerated individuals at the Medium Security Complex.

The Department of Corrections is working with the Washington Department of Health to develop a testing plan and expects to provide more information on the process within the next several days.

The facility currently has:

• 38 confirmed cases of COVID-19 among staff, including four in Correctional Worker Core training, and 91 confirmed cases among its incarcerated population, as of June 18, 2020;
• 17 individuals in isolation, meaning the individuals have symptoms and are separated from healthy people, as of June 17, 2020; and,
• 1,784 individuals in quarantine as of June 17, 2020, meaning they were exposed but do not have symptoms and are separated from healthy people.