The 2022 death of a parolee who passed away shortly after being booked into the Northern Branch Jail was found to be “accidental” and due primarily to a drug overdose, according to the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office.

Jaime Angel Gonzalez, 33, of Santa Maria died on Dec. 28, 2022, at Marian Regional Medical Center after being transported there from the jail.

“Autopsy results revealed Gonzalez’s cause of death was methamphetamine intoxication,” according to a report released Wednesday by District Attorney John Savrnoch. “Other significant conditions were dilated cardiomyopathy, obesity, and physical restraint.”

The report went on the state that “the physical force used by SBSO staff to restrain Gonzalez prior to his accidental death was reasonable and lawful, and they bear no state criminal liability.”

The report states that Gonzalez had called 9-1-1 to request assistance because he was having problems with other residents of his sober-living house in Orcutt.

Sheriff’s deputies responded, and agreed to Gonzalez’s request to be transported to the local parole office. But he subsequently began acting erratically, and the deputies suspected he was under the influence of a controlled substance.

“After Gonzalez admitted to recent drug use, his parole agent instructed the deputies to arrest Gonzalez for a violation of parole,” according to the report.

Throughout the process of transporting Gonzalez to jail, he was uncooperative and resisted deputies’ efforts and orders, the report states. He also complained of back and chest pain, and “repeatedly expressed paranoia that he was going to be harmed.”

Deputies decided to take Gonzalez to the jail rather than a local emergency room, since he would be medically evaluated by intake staff, according to the report.

Upon arrival at the jail, Gonzalez was evaluated by a registered nurse, who cleared him to be booked into custody. A licensed clinical social worker also evaluated him, and decided he should be placed  in a safety cell.

“As custody staff walked Gonzalez from the pre-booking area to the jail intake area, Gonzalez became noncompliant and began to physically resist the deputies by kicking and spitting,” the report states. “Staff were eventually able to place him in a safety cell.”

Moments later, Gonzalez became unresponsive, and jail personnel administered Narcan, an opioid overdose antidote, and tried to revive him, the report states. He regained consciousness, but became unresponsive again, and staff administered another dose of Narcan.

County Fire Department and American Medical Response medics responded to the scene, and Gonzalez began breathing on his own again and regained a pulse.

He was transported by ambulance to Marian Regional Medical Center in Santa Maria, where he died a short time later.

Autopsy results revealed that Gonzalez had methamphetamine and amphetamine in his blood at the time of his death, and the cause of his death was “methamphetamine intoxication,” the report states.