Inmate Dies in Apparent Suicide at Santa Barbara County’s Main Jail
Santa Ynez Woman Was Booked at Jail on Tuesday and Found Unresponsive in Cell on Wednesday
[Updated: Thu., Nov. 14, 2024, 3 p.m.]
An inmate at Santa Barbara County’s Main Jail died from an apparent suicide on Wednesday, the Sheriff’s Office announced on Thursday. In a follow-up press release, the Sheriff’s Office identified the person as 41-year-old Santa Ynez resident Cecilia Michelle Covarrubias.
Covarrubias had been booked into the jail on Tuesday, November 8, for felonies including assault with a deadly weapon, evading a peace officer with wanton disregard for safety of others, and driving under the influence of drugs and was being held on $75,000 bail, according to the Sheriff’s Office. She was placed in a single-person observation cell within the Inmate Reception Center. On Wednesday at around 4:50 p.m., custody deputies found Covarrubias unresponsive with a ligature around her neck. Jail staff and Wellpath medical staff attempted life-saving measures, which were continued by paramedics from County Fire and AMR, but Covarrubias was pronounced dead around 40 minutes later.
The Sheriff’s Office stated that although the death appears to be a suicide, it “is conducting a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding this incident.” The cause and manner of death are pending further investigation by the Coroner’s Bureau.
