Attempted Escape from Santa Barbara County Jail Thwarted

On Monday night, Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s deputies stopped an apparent escape attempt at Santa Barbara’s Main Jail.
During a routine linen exchange and group movement, custody deputies found five unescorted inmates in an unauthorized area. The situation prompted a lockdown of the facility and assistance from Sheriff’s deputies and area agencies on the outside of the jail, the Sheriff’s Office announced Tuesday morning.
The inmates involved had bypassed one layer of security to reach the area of the jail they were found in, but several more layers of security stood between them and the public. After they were found, the inmates were secured and rehoused.
Sheriff’s detectives are conducting a criminal investigation at this time. The identities of the inmates are pending due to the ongoing investigation.