Inmate at Northern Branch Jail Dies After Being Found Unresponsive During Check

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, Calif. (KEYT) – A 68-year-old man incarcerated at the Northern Branch Jail died Tuesday after a custody deputy found him unresponsive in his cell during a routine check.

The identity of the man is being withheld pending the notification of his next of kin explained the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office.

On Sep. 15, around 12:14 p.m., a custody deputy found a 68-year-old inmate unresponsive in the bed of his single-person cell during a routine check stated a press release from the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office.

Custody deputies and Wellpath medical personnel attempted life-saving measures as they awaited the arrival of emergency responders detailed the local sheriff's office.

First responders arrived and continued life-saving attempts at the scene, but the 68-year-old was pronounced dead around 12:59 p.m. Tuesday shared the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office.

The 68-year-old had been in custody since Aug. 3 of this year and he was being held on multiple charges including felony assault and two misdemeanor counts of indecent exposure noted the local law enforcement agency.

The official cause of his death is now under investigation by the Sheriff's Office Coroner's Bureau and a separate administrative review of the incident is also underway stated the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office.