Former Sheriff John Carpenter Dies

Five-time Santa Barbara County sheriff John Carpenter died at the age of 87 on 1/26 in Virginia, where he’d lived for the past 20 years, the Sheriff’s Office announced. Carpenter served as sheriff from 1970-1991 and had a 34-year career in law enforcement, which started in Hermosa Beach, where he’d grown up. The main jail bears his name, Sheriff Bill Brown stated, adding that Carpenter was the first to push for a North County Jail several decades ago.

Carpenter is survived by his wife, children, and many grand- and great-grandchildren. His daughter Morgan Carpenter said a highlight of his career was getting to know former president Ronald Reagan during the Rancho del Cielo years; one of his granddaughters is named “Reagan.”