The death of an inmate at the Santa Barbara County Main Jail was under investigation Saturday, although officials said it appeared to be a suicide.
Custody staff conducting checks of inmates at 6:20 a.m. in the northwest module found a male inmate unresponsive in his bunk, according to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office.
“Custody staff entered the single-occupant cell and found a piece of linen fashioned as a ligature around the inmate’s neck,” Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Raquel Zick said.
“Custody deputies and WellPath medical staff began lifesaving measures, including administering Narcan and performing CPR.”
Personnel from the Santa Barbara County Fire Department and American Medical Response responded to the jail facility.
“Paramedics continued lifesaving measures, but the inmate did not recover and was pronounced dead at 6:30 a.m. without being transported,” Zick added.
“Although this appears to be an apparent suicide, the Sheriff’s Office is conducting a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding this incident.”
Members of the Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations, Coroners’ Bureau and Administrative Investigations responded to conduct multiple investigations.
The Coroner’s Office will conduct further investigation to determine the cause and manner of the death.
The identity of the decedent will be released once notification to his next of kin has been completed, Zick added.