A Santa Barbara County jail inmate is recovering at Cottage Hospital after he was stabbed approximately 30 times by multiple assailants in a gang-related attack.
Citing the ongoing investigation, Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Raquel Zick said only that detectives are “investigating an assault where an inmate was seriously injured but is expected to survive.” The identities of the victim and alleged suspects have not been released.
The attack took place Sunday in a unit of the jail reserved for verified gang members. While gang members typically set aside their territorial rivalries in custody, incidents of violence still sometimes occur.
According to sources, one of the assailants was convicted in January of first-degree murder and is expected to be sentenced to life in prison without parole. Both offenders in that case are members of the Carpas street gang, which claims the City of Carpinteria as its territory and regularly feuds with its Santa Barbara rivals.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
