The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the death of a man at the Northern Branch Jail in Santa Maria.
Sheriff’s officials say a custody deputy found the 68-year-old man unresponsive in his bed shortly after noon on Tuesday. Deputies and medical staff at the jail reportedly began lifesaving measures and called for paramedics; however, the man was pronounced dead just before 1 p.m.
According to the sheriff’s office, the man was being housed alone in a single-person cell. He had been in custody since August 3 and was being held on charges including vandalism, indecent exposure, assault, and battery.
The man’s name has not yet been released.
The cause of his death is under investigation.