Glassport man dies at Allegheny County Jail

A 41-year-old man died at Allegheny County Jail on Thursday morning, three days after he was arrested on a bench warrant.

Jail officials did not name the man, but defense attorney Casey White confirmed that his client, Richard Sciubba II, of Glassport, died at the jail Thursday morning. He had been there since Monday.

Acting Warden Shane T. Dady said a corrections officer found a man unresponsive in his cell at 5:20 a.m. Medical staff attempted life-saving measures, but they were unsuccessful. Sciubba was pronounced dead at 5:52 a.m., officials said.

Dady said there were no obvious signs of foul play, but staff found a note left for the man’s family that could be perceived as a suicide note.

If Sciubba killed himself, it would be the first suicide at the jail since May 2020, the warden said.

White said he had no knowledge of the note that was found.

“The family doesn’t have any reason to believe he was suicidal,” he said. “There was no indication he was going to harm himself.”

White said he represented Sciubba for about 10 years, and that his client struggled with drug addiction. When police arrested Sciubba on Monday, White said, they found him with a needle in his arm.

“He was under the influence when he arrived at the jail,” White said. “My understanding was he was in the middle of detoxing.”

Sciubba, who had a lengthy criminal history, was arrested on a bench warrant for unsworn falsification to authorities and false reports. Police were looking for him following a police pursuit.

He also had pending drug charges scheduled for trial in January.

“Ricky, throughout the years, has battled his demons,” White said. “It sounds like he succumbed to those demons this morning.”