A second Riverside County sheriff’s deputy has died from the coronavirus, Sheriff Chad Bianco announced Friday, April 3.

Deputy David Werksman, a 22-year veteran, died Thursday, April 2, because of complications from COVID-19. He began experiencing flu-like symptoms about three weeks ago and was admitted to a hospital a week ago for treatment of respiratory failure, Bianco said.

Werksman, 51, was most recently assigned to the sheriff’s administrative office in Riverside, where he was part of the team that responded to California Public Records Act requests. He is survived by his wife and three adult children.

A procession for Deputy David Werksman, who died from coronavirus on Thursday April, 2, leaves from Riverside County Coroner’s Office in Perris on Friday, April 3, 2020. He’s the second Riverside County sheriff to die from the illness. (Photo by Cindy Yamanaka, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

A procession for Deputy David Werksman, who died from coronavirus on Thursday April, 2, leaves Riverside County Coroner’s Office in Perris on Friday, April 3, 2020. (Photo by Cindy Yamanaka, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

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A procession for Deputy David Werksman, transported in a van, leaves Riverside County Coroner’s Office in Perris on Friday, April 3, 2020. (Photo by Cindy Yamanaka, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

A procession for Deputy David Werksman prepares to depart from Riverside County Coroner Office in Perris on Friday, April 3, 2020. (Photo by Cindy Yamanaka, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

The public watches the procession for Deputy David Werksman depart Riverside County Coroner Office in Perris on Friday, April 3, 2020. (Photo by Cindy Yamanaka, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)



The masked media outnumbers the public during a coronavirus-related procession for Deputy David Werksman near the Riverside County Coroner’s Office in Perris on Friday, April 3, 2020. (Photo by Cindy Yamanaka, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

After saluting one of their own, law enforcement officers march away from a van carrying the body of Deputy David Werksman in Perris on Friday, April 3, 2020. (Photo by Cindy Yamanaka, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

Law enforcement officers stand at attention before saluting Deputy David Werksman on Friday, April 3, 2020. He died from COVID-19 complications, the department said. (Photo by Cindy Yamanaka, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

Deputies and officers salute as Deputy David Werksman, who died April 2, from the coronavirus, arrives at Acheson & Graham Garden of Prayer Mortuary in Riverside on Friday, April 3, 2020. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

Deputies and officers salute as Deputy David Werksman, who died April 2, from the coronavirus, arrives at Acheson & Graham Garden of Prayer Mortuary in Riverside on Friday, April 3, 2020. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)



The procession for Deputy David Werksman, who died April 2 from the coronavirus, arrives at Acheson & Graham Garden of Prayer Mortuary in Riverside on Friday, April 3, 2020. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

Riverside Police Chief Larry Gonzalez salutes as the procession for Deputy David Werksman, who died April 2 from the coronavirus, arrives at Acheson & Graham Garden of Prayer Mortuary in Riverside on Friday, April 3, 2020. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

A woman watches the procession for Deputy David Werksman, who died April 2 from the coronavirus, arrives at Acheson & Graham Garden of Prayer Mortuary in Riverside on Friday, April 3, 2020. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

Riverside motor officers salute as the procession for Deputy David Werksman, who died April 2 from the coronavirus, arrives at Acheson & Graham Garden of Prayer Mortuary in Riverside on Friday, April 3, 2020. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

Strawberry Cruz of City of Riverside Honor Guard salutes as the procession for Deputy David Werksman, who died April 2 from the coronavirus, arrives at Acheson & Graham Garden of Prayer Mortuary in Riverside on Friday, April 3, 2020. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)



The procession for Deputy David Werksman, who died April 2 from the coronavirus, arrives at Acheson & Graham Garden of Prayer Mortuary in Riverside on Friday, April 3, 2020. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

Riverside City Police motor officers wear a black and blue ribbon their badges in honor of Deputy David Werksman, who died April 2 from the coronavirus, as his procession arrives at Acheson & Graham Garden of Prayer Mortuary in Riverside on Friday, April 3, 2020. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

Deputies and officers salute as Deputy David Werksman, who died April 2 from the coronavirus, arrives at Acheson & Graham Garden of Prayer Mortuary in Riverside on Friday, April 3, 2020. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

Deputies salute as Deputy David Werksman, who died April 2 from the coronavirus, arrives at Acheson & Graham Garden of Prayer Mortuary in Riverside on Friday, April 3, 2020. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

A member of the Corona Honor Guard salute as Deputy David Werksman, who died April 2 from the coronavirus, arrives at Acheson & Graham Garden of Prayer Mortuary in Riverside on Friday, April 3, 2020. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)



Riverside county deputies salute as Deputy David Werksman, who died April 2 from the coronavirus, arrives at Acheson & Graham Garden of Prayer Mortuary in Riverside on Friday, April 3, 2020. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

Deputy David Werksman died from the coronavirus the sheriff’s office announced Friday, April 3, 2020. (Courtesy of Riverside County Sheriff’s Office)

Deputy Terrell Young, 52, a 15-year veteran, also died Thursday.

“We are reeling from the reality that this virus has taken the lives of two of our family members in the past 24 hours,” Bianco said Friday at a news conference outside sheriff’s headquarters.

A procession of public safety workers escorted Werksman’s body from the Coroner’s Office in Perris to Acheson & Graham Garden of Prayer Mortuary in Riverside on Friday afternoon.

Werksman had no contact with Young, who worked at Cois M. Byrd Detention Center in French Valley and is believed to have been infected by an inmate during a trip to and from Riverside University Health System Medical Center. Bianco said Thursday that 22 of the 25 sheriff’s employees who have tested positive work at Byrd Detention Center.

Instead, Bianco said, Werksman may have been infected while attending the funeral of his mother, who died several weeks ago. No one who worked directly with Werksman has tested positive, the sheriff said.

Werksman began his law enforcement career in 1993 as a dispatcher with the Tustin Police Department. He joined the Sheriff’s Department on April 23, 1998. He worked assignments at the Robert Presley Detention Center in Riverside and at the Jurupa Valley and the Lake Elsinore stations. He had been a member of the hazardous-device team as an FBI-certified bomb technician, a range master, an advanced scuba diver and a confined-space rescuer.

We are saddened to announce the death of Deputy David Werksman, most recently assigned to Sheriff’s Admin. Deputy Werksman passed away on Thursday, April 2, 2020, due to complications from COVID-19. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his loved ones during this difficult time. pic.twitter.com/cDshazQpeQ — Riverside County Sheriff's Dept (@RSO) April 3, 2020

“It is hard to imagine that just 24 hours ago, our department was in pain due to the COVID-19 death of Deputy Terrell Young,” said Bill Young, president of the Riverside Sheriffs’ Association, the union that represents deputies. “Our members are heartbroken and hurting.”

Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Capt. Don Camp, who said he knew Werksman for 20 years, was mourning the deputy’s death Friday. Camp and Werksman would respond to some of the same hazardous materials or bomb squad incidents, and Camp said Werksman was a welcome sight.

“There are certain people in public safety that when they show up at a scene, you have a sense of calm come over you,” Camp said. “Dave was just one of those guys who was always leaning forward to make the situation more cohesive. He was as interested in our hazmat world as we were in the hazardous device world.”

Werksman was also something of a jokester.

“Never really saw him in a bad mood, but he was driven to get things done professionally and competently to make sure everyone went home (safely) at the end of the operation.”

Bianco, updating the department statistics Friday, said that 26 sheriff’s employees and 13 inmates have tested positive, including the first patrol deputy to be infected. That deputy likely was exposed to a sick relative, Bianco said. All of the employees who were infected were exposed to someone who had the virus but showed no symptoms, Bianco said.

The sheriff several times during the news conference implored the public to obey health officials’ orders to stay home unless it is absolutely necessary to leave. He said road traffic appears to be back on the rise.

“I don’t believe people are taking this seriously and unfortunately, I don’t think they will until it happens to someone close to them,” Bianco said.