Lee County sheriff: Unresponsive inmate hospitalized Friday died Monday, was a Fenton woman, 43

DIXON – The Lee County jail detainee who was found unresponsive Friday morning was 43-year-old Gayla J. Grossman, of Fenton in rural Whiteside County, Sheriff John Simonton confirmed Tuesday.

Grossman was taken from KSB Hospital in Dixon to St. Anthony Medical Center in Rockford, where she died Monday afternoon, Simonton said in an email.

Simonton said Grossman "did not survive her injuries," but declined to explain what led to Grossman being found unresponsive.

He did not identify her cause of death.

"The investigation is ongoing, therefore, it is imperative that we allow that process to take place, to avoid any assumptions or inference," Simonton said in the email.

Without identifying Grossman or her gender, a news release Friday evening said that she was found during a routine cell check around 11:30 a.m. Friday morning, and that she was in critical condition at an undisclosed hospital.

Deputies performed life-saving measures, and Grossman's immediate family was notified, the release said.

Simonton added Tuesday that "this incident" still is under investigation by Whiteside and Ogle County sheriff’s detectives, as is protocol.

According to jail records, Grossman was arrested July 19 and charged with violating an order of protection. She was charged July 24 in Lee County Court with aggravated arson, three counts of arson, being a felon in possession of a weapon and possession of a firearm without a FOID card.

Investigators said she set a a pickup and a barn on fire, which damaged a nearby barn.

According to a probable cause affidavit by Amboy Police Chief Paul Smith, Grossman was caught on home surveillance video July 19 going into a garage and then into a barn on Sterling Road, carrying a gun.

After she leaves the barn, flames can be seen coming from inside. The barn was totaled and one next door was damaged, according to the affidavit.

The interior of the pickup also was set on fire, the affidavit said.

Grossman pleaded not guilty on Aug. 17 and was issued a $200,000 bond, court records show.

Another charge — residential burglary — was added Oct. 8, court records show.

Her next pretrial hearing was scheduled for Jan. 28.