Sheriff's Office releases identity of inmate found dead in his cell

The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office identified a Santa Maria man as the jail inmate found dead in his cell on Oct. 16. 

Kelly Hoover, a public information officer for the Sheriff’s Office, said custody deputies found 38-year-old Hector Higareda unresponsive inside of his cell at approximately 4:35 p.m. Deputies and jail medical staff, immediately began life-saving procedures, but they were unsuccessful. Higareda was pronounced dead less than an hour later. 

Higareda was serving a 365-day sentence in the Santa Barbara County Main Jail on Calle Real for a false imprisonment charge related to a domestic dispute, Hoover said. He was booked into jail on June 18. Higareda was scheduled for early release on Dec. 9. 

Hoover said that Higareda appears to have killed himself, although the Coroner’s Office is investigating to determine the official cause of death. 

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