Sheriff Bill Brown | Official website of Santa Barbara County
Sheriff Bill Brown | Official website of Santa Barbara County
An individual incarcerated at the Main Jail in Santa Barbara, California, was found dead from an apparent suicide. The person had been booked on November 8, 2024, by the Sheriff's Office for charges including assault with a deadly weapon, evading a peace officer with wanton disregard for safety, and driving under the influence of drugs. They were being held on a $75,000 bail in a single-person observation cell within the Inmate Reception Center.
On November 13, 2024, around 4:50 p.m., custody deputies discovered the individual unresponsive with a ligature around their neck. Despite life-saving efforts by custody staff and WellPath medical personnel, as well as paramedics from County Fire and American Medical Response (AMR), the individual could not be resuscitated and was pronounced dead approximately 40 minutes later.
The Sheriff's Office is conducting an investigation into the incident's circumstances to determine whether it was indeed a suicide. Investigators from Criminal Investigations, Coroners Bureau, and Administrative Investigations are involved in multiple inquiries. The Coroner’s Office will further investigate to establish the cause and manner of death.
The decedent's identity will be disclosed once their next-of-kin has been notified.
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