Suit Filed Over Death of Man in Custody

The parents and daughter of a Thousand Oaks man who died in police custody on New Year’s Eve sued Ventura County in federal court in Los Angeles on Wednesday.

Marco Marangoni’s family alleges that sheriff’s deputies used unnecessary force when they arrested the combative 29-year-old, spraying him with pepper spray and restraining him while he was lying on his chest. Deputies had said they were unaware that the man’s breathing was restricted when they subdued him after a struggle.

An autopsy later showed the pressure restricted Marangoni’s breathing and resulted in a drop in his blood-oxygen level, which led to cardiac arrest.

The suit seeks unspecified damages, claiming deputies violated Marangoni’s civil rights and that the county failed to train officers not to restrain suspects lying on their stomachs.

The county’s attorneys could not be reached late Wednesday afternoon.

The Dec. 31 arrest came after residents on Calle Pensamiento in Thousand Oaks called authorities about 11 p.m., saying that Marangoni was acting bizarrely and speaking incoherently.

The Ventura County medical examiner concluded that the man’s death was caused by several factors, including his weight of more than 300 pounds, his excited state and marijuana intoxication. Pepper spray was not listed as a factor.

Paramedics tried to revive Marangoni by pumping air through a tube into his lungs. However, the autopsy report showed that the tube was placed in his esophagus, which leads to the stomach.

The coroner concluded that the placement of the breathing tube did not contribute significantly to Marangoni’s death.