Border agent died of cocaine overdose

A U.S. Border Patrol agent who was found dead in a Riverside County home this year after an arrest in Long Beach overdosed on cocaine and was dealing with depression, according to an autopsy report made public Tuesday.

- BY JAMES QUEALLY AND KAREN GARCIA

Isaiah Hodgson, 29, was found dead in his bedroom in Hemet in late August with white “powder-like residue” near him, according to investigative documents released by the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office in response to a public records request from The Times.

Authorities ruled Hodgson's death to be accidental and found three plastic bindles, which normally are used to hold drugs, in his stomach, according to the coroner’s report. Riverside County sheriff’s officials previously said there were no signs of foul play at the scene, and the report confirmed Hodgson had not sustained any injuries or defensive wounds. His official cause of death was described as “cocaine toxicity.”

In early July, Hodgson was arrested in Long Beach for allegedly fighting with city police. Prosecutors charged Hodgson with three counts of resisting arrest, one count of battery causing injury to a police officer and several misdemeanor weapons offenses after he scuffled with officers responding to a restaurant in Shoreline Village.

Staff had kicked out Hodgson, reporting he drunkenly wandered into the women’s restroom while armed with a handgun.

In dramatic body cam video reviewed by The Times, Long Beach police officers approached Hodgson on July 7 after a 911 call made by a security guard who reported Hodgson had shown him a gun.