A Riverside County sheriff’s correctional deputy was arrested on Wednesday, Sept. 13, when he was discovered illegally under the influence of a drug and in possession of it inside a jail and subsequently fired, the Sheriff’s Department said.
Brent Bishop Turnwall, a 22-year-old Murrieta resident, was hired in December and assigned to the Cois M. Byrd Detention Center in French Valley, Sgt. Wenndy Brito-Gonzalez, a department spokeswoman, said in response to a Southern California News Group inquiry about the arrest.
Brito-Gonzalez was asked whether Turnwall was arrested in the jail, but she said only that he was arrested in the 30000 block of Auld Road. The jail is located at 30755-B Auld. The county jail log lists the arrest location as “B Auld Road.”
Brito-Gonzalez also did not detail how deputies were alerted to the drug, whether Turnwall possessed it on his body or in his locker, or say whether Turnwall gave it to or acquired it from any inmate or other deputy.
“At the moment, we are unable to provide additional details as the case is still under investigation,” she said.
Turnwall was arrested at 6 p.m. Wednesday and booked on suspicion of the two misdemeanor counts at Robert Presley Detention Center in Riverside, the jail log shows. He posted $5,000 bail and was released the same day.
Turnwall had no documented criminal record in Riverside County.
“I am very disappointed to learn Correctional Deputy Turnwall is involved with drugs,” Sheriff Chad Bianco said in a written statement. “I hope he gets the help he needs, but he certainly does not belong in this line of work. As such, he was released from service with the Sheriff’s Office with cause. I am very proud of our other employees for doing exactly what we would hope when they find themselves in a situation involving misconduct by another employee.
“We will continue to expect nothing but the best from our employees and will continue in our exemplary service to our community,” the sheriff said. “While we wish things like this never happen, the fact is they do. We will continue to identify and eliminate employees who engage in illegal activity or violate our oath of service, ethics and integrity.”
