Authorities have released the name of the woman found dead on Easter Sunday outside the Santa Barbara County Behavioral Wellness Department buildings in Santa Maria.
The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Coroner’s Office identified the woman as Stacy Cocks Wohlgemuth, 56, of Santa Maria.
Her death was ruled a suicide, Santa Maria police said.
At 12:48 p.m. on April 16, police were called to the 500 block of West Foster Road, where Wohlgemuth’s body was found near the county mental health clinics.
Crews initially were dispatched to the scene for a report of a body on fire, according to emergency dispatch radio.
Police labeled the death as suspicious until they could determine whether it was homicide or suicide.
While West Foster Road is home to several county facilities, the area actually sits in a segment of the Santa Maria city limits, which is why Santa Maria police investigated the incident.
— Noozhawk North County editor Janene Scully can be reached at jscully@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.