A 68-year-old incarcerated man died at the Santa Barbara County Northern Branch Jail in Santa Maria on Tuesday afternoon.
The man’s identity is being withheld while authorities notify his family.
A deputy found the man unresponsive in his cell at 12:14 p.m. during a routine check, according to a news release.
The man was pronounced dead at 12:59 p.m.
The man was in custody for vandalism and two counts of indecent exposure, as well as felony charges for assault with force likely to cause great bodily injury and battery with serious bodily injury.
He has been in custody since August 3, 2026, with a bail set at $15,000.
The Sheriff’s Office Coroner’s Bureau is determining the official cause and manner of death.
