A Santa Barbara County Jail inmate died after being found unresponsive Saturday, sheriff’s officials say.
The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office says custody staff discovered Kean Ardie San Juan Pinon of Santa Maria alone around 2:20 p.m. and hanging from a bed sheet in what officials believe was an apparent suicide attempt.
Jail medical staff and paramedics were called but the sheriff’s office says the 35-year-old died about an hour later at the hospital.
His next-of-kin have been notified.
“Although this appears to be an apparent suicide, the Sheriff’s Office is conducting a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding this incident. The Sheriff / Coroner’s Office will conduct further investigation to determine the cause and manner of his death,” according to a press release.
Pinon was booked into the jail last Monday on suspicion of residential burglary and a warrant for a probation violation related to possession of controlled substances in a jail, charges of grand thefts and a court remand for possession/purchase of narcotics for sales, officials say.
