Authorities say Larry Rubio of Lemoore was nude and under the influence of drugs in a residential neighborhood on the Santa Rosa Rancheria Reservation next to the Tachi Palace Casino. They say Rubio tried to crawl on a tribal security patrol car. According to sheriff's reports, tribal security pepper-sprayed and tasered Rubio.
When sheriff deputies got here, Rubio was non-responsive and not breathing. They performed CPR ... but it didn't work ... they got him to the hospital, where more life-saving methods were taken. But Rubio died at about 2:00 Friday morning.
As of Friday afternoon, the incident was labeled "suspicious" by the Kings County Sheriff's Office.
Kings Co. Asst. Sheriff, Brian Wheat said, "There was no obvious reason for him to die during this struggle. So it's suspicious at this point."
And that's why the Kings County District Attorney's office is involved ... seeing if Rubio committed a crime. If drugs played a role in his death ... and if tribal security may have used unnecessary force in subduing the suspect.
"The Deputy D.A. was out this evening and he was involved in looking over some of the evidence and talking to some of the people involved," Wheat said.
Rubio had been investigated before on a host of violations including indecent exposure, narcotics, resisting arrest and possession of a concealed weapon.
Meanwhile, the Tachi Tribal Council met Friday afternoon to discuss the Rubio death but declined to make a comment. It will be a month before the results of Friday's autopsy on Larry Rubio will be available.
