Incarcerated Man Dies in Santa Barbara County Jail

This week, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the death of 38-year-old Eduardo Velazquez, who had been in custody at the Santa Barbara County Jail. He died at 9:36 p.m. on Tuesday, August 11,  around half an hour after being found unresponsive in his cell. In a Thursday press release, the Sheriff’s Office also announced that 11 additional cases of COVID-19 have been found among the inmate population, bringing the total to 25. 

According to the Sheriff’s Office, Velazquez, who had been arrested on a warrant for multiple violent charges on July 11, had tested positive for  COVID-19 on July 16, during his time in the jail’s intake. He was hospitalized for 12 days, between July 17 and July 29, and was then kept in medical isolation after he was released from the hospital. Despite this, the Sheriff’s Office said that Velazquez died of “natural causes” and that he “exhibited no significant health issues…..” at the time of his last medical checkup on August 11. A release from the Sheriff’s Office states that an investigation and autopsy are being conducted.