The family of a jail inmate who died in 2016 while in custody is suing Orange County, alleging the facility’s medical staff ignored symptoms of a fatal heart condition.

Orange County Sheriff Sandra Hutchens and jail medical personnel are also named as defendants in the wrongful death complaint filed recently on behalf of Patrick John Russell’s estate.

Sheriff’s Department spokeswoman Carrie Braun declined Tuesday to comment on the pending litigation.

Russell, 30, was housed at the James A. Musick jail facility in Irvine for a misdemeanor probation violation.

From Jan. 23, 2016 until his death on Jan. 24, 2016, Russell continually complained to jail staff he was suffering from chest pains and was extremely ill, according to the suit.

“Toward the tail end of his life, (he) begged out of desperation for urgent medical care,” the complaint says. “All of the defendants knew there was substantial risk to Patrick’s health if he went untreated, but repeatedly denied him appropriate medical treatment.”

Jail medical staff ignored Russell’s complaints of shortness of breath, numbness in his hands and feet, and pain in his jaw and arm that should have been red flags of a fatal heart condition, according to the lawsuit.

“We are trying to bring attention to the lack of medical care in county jail facilities,” Cameron Sehat, an Irvine attorney who represents Russell’s family, said Tuesday. “We want to have better training for nurses so they err on the side of caution when a patient presents unrelenting symptoms.”

Nurses and a doctor at the jail who evaluated and treated Russell were incorrect in their medical assessments but their actions did not constitute criminal negligence, according to an Orange County District Attorney’s Office investigative report.

“It appears that Russell’s initial diagnosis while at the jail was as a result of a mistake,” the report says, adding he died from a tear in the aorta.

The lawsuit filed in Orange County Superior Court seeks unspecified punitive and compensatory damages.