Inmate death at Ventura Detention Facility leads to organ donation

VENTURA, Calif. - Ventura County Sheriff's officials released information Tuesday about an inmate who died in the Ventura County Pre-Trial Detention Facility on S. Victoria Ave. nine days ago.

Details came in the form of a standard press release.

According to the information, Scott Hultman of Santa Paula was found "alone and unresponsive in his cell" just before 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 15.

Deputies immediately rendered aid and called for the medical staff.
Ventura City Fire and American Medical Response personnel responded and transported Hultman to a local hospital. 

Four days later, on Nov. 19, medical staff determined that Hultman had neither brain activity nor any chance of survival. As an organ donor, Hultman was kept on life support until organ donation arrangements could be made, which occurred four days later, on Nov. 23.

Ventura County Sheriff's Sgt. Marta Bugarin confirmed to NewsChannel that 43-year-old Hultman was initially booked into the jail on Friday, Nov.6 for violation of a domestic violence restraining order.

Bugarin said Hultman's organs were harvested Monday night.

The Ventura County Medical Examiner is expected to conduct and complete an autopsy on Hultman Wednesday.

The Sheriff's Major Crimes Bureau is investigating the cause of Hultman's death, however, Bugarin said there was "no indication of a crime."