sbsheriff
Update by the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office
October 3, 2024
Sheriff’s detectives are sharing additional information about a custody-related death that occurred on Tuesday, September 17, 2024.
The decedent is identified as 40-year-old Antonio Alvarado Orozco from Santa Maria. The Coroner’s Bureau has determined the cause of Orozco’s death to be complications of blunt force craniocerebral trauma due to a fall from standing height as a result of a seizure. The manner of death is accidental.
In addition to an autopsy, this investigation included interviews of witnesses, a review of Orozco’s available medical history, as well as a review of surveillance video from the Northern Branch Jail.
This video showed his seizure and unassisted, undefended fall from two different angles. The Sheriff’s Office learned that Orozco regained consciousness following his emergency surgery and had begun rehabilitation before his condition declined and he ultimately died.
The Sheriff’s Office is working with the Board of State and Community Corrections, Department of Justice, and the Santa Barbara County Grand Jury to share information about this death.
Santa Maria Man Dies While in Sheriff’s Custody, Investigations Pending
By the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office
September 18, 2024
A Santa Maria man, who was in custody prior to his release, passed away on September 17, 2024 while hospitalized.
On Thursday, August 29, 2024, at approximately 12:52 p.m., a 40-year-old male was booked by Santa Maria Police at the Northern Branch Jail on a felony warrant for violation of probation and assault with force likely to cause great bodily injury.
The subject was medically screened by Wellpath staff with no identified emergency medical conditions before being processed for intake and subsequently housed in the B Unit of the NBJ facility.
At approximately 7:35 p.m. that evening, a custody deputy observed the inmate to have lost consciousness while standing up and fall to the ground. Additional custody staff along with WellPath medical personnel immediately responded to the location and rendered aid to the subject, who temporarily regained consciousness.
American Medical Response was summoned and transported the subject to Marian Hospital for treatment. It is believed that the subject’s condition did not improve while hospitalized and he underwent emergency surgery within hours of being admitted.
The subject did not regain consciousness while hospitalized and remained in Sheriff’s custody until Friday, September 13, 2024, when he was court ordered to be released.
Tuesday, September 17, 2024, at approximately 5:16 a.m., the subject was pronounced dead by staff at Marian Hospital.
Detectives from the Sheriff’s Office are conducting multiple investigations into this death, including both a Coroner’s investigation and criminal investigation. Additional information will be released once family members have been notified of the death and upon the conclusion of the investigation.
Comments
0 Comments deleted by Administrator