Santa Cruz County Sheriff investigating after inmate dies

Detectives from the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office are investigating the death of an inmate Saturday afternoon at the county’s main jail on Water Street in Santa Cruz.

In a Tuesday news release, the sheriff’s office said that an inmate at the jail was found in medical distress at 4:07 p.m. Saturday. Medical staff at the jail started life-saving treatment and called emergency medical services.

Ambulance and fire personnel arrived and also attempted to help, but the patient was pronounced dead at 4:39 p.m.

Detectives are investigating what led to the patient’s death and a forensic pathologist is conducting an autopsy and toxicology test to determine the cause and manner of death.

The sheriff’s office is notifying the next of kin before releasing the name of the inmate.

Officials from the sheriff’s office were not immediately available for comment late Tuesday afternoon.