A Twentynine Palms man who had both legs amputated below the knees, as well as his left hand, is blaming the Morongo Basin Jail for inadequate care while he was an inmate. Perry Belden, 28, was arrested March 27, 2018, after he was found hiding in a house’s attic. His legs went through the ceiling several times, causing abrasions to his legs. The Sheriff’s Department told Z107.7 News that after his arrest, Belden had been taken to Hi-Desert Medical Center and cleared for booking. Belden claims in a lawsuit filed in federal court on May 13 that he told a bailiff when he was on his way to court for the first time on March 29, that he wasn’t feeling well. Four days later, Belden told the San Bernardino Sun that he couldn’t walk and had to be dragged into the courtroom, and on April 4, he was hospitalized at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center, where his legs and hand were amputated. Belden’s attorneys told the Sun that he was suffering from dehydration, sepsis, and renal failure. Belden says he was hospitalized for six months. Sheriff’s spokeswoman Cynthia Bachman said in a statement that Belden was hospitalized “for an underlying condition.” And, “At this time this is a pending claim against the county. The department has not been served with a lawsuit.”
