Wrongful death lawsuit filed against Santa Barbara County, Sheriff for January inmate death
[Editor's note: A previous version of this story associated an incorrect inmate death with the lawsuit. It has been updated with the correct information.]
SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, Calif. – The family of a man who died while in custody at the Santa Barbara County Main Jail has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Santa Barbara County and the county Sheriff's Office.
Michael Anthony Remijio, 30, was found hanging from a bedsheet "in an apparent suicide attempt" at the Santa Barbara County Main Jail on Feb. 19, 2021 – less than a day after he was booked, according to Sheriff's spokeswoman Raquel Zick.
Custody staff rendered aid and called for paramedics to respond, and Reminio was transported to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital, where he died from his injuries roughly an hour later, Zick said at the time.
The wrongful death lawsuit alleges that Remijio hung himself while in custody, and that prior to being taken into custody, he had called 911 to say he was coming down from methamphetamines and he was going to kill himself.
"Rather than take him to a hospital, defendants took him to jail, where they stuffed him in a one-person cell and left him to hang himself on a sheet," the lawsuit claims.
The sheriff's office was unable to comment on any pending litigation, spokeswoman Raquel Zick told News Channel 3-12 when asked about the lawsuit.
If you or someone you know is feeling suicidal, help is available. Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255. You can also chat with a counselor online.
