Raymond Herrera entered Santa Barbara County Jail in June to serve a short sentence for various non-violent probation violations, but he didn’t come out alive.
On June 15, the 52-year-old Herrera suffered a medical emergency while in jail and died a short time later at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital. According to a coroner’s report issued by the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office on July 8, cause of death was a ruptured spleen due to cirrhosis of the liver that led to Herrera’s death. It was ruled a natural death.
Previously, Herrera was diagnosed with hypertension, hyperlipidemia (abnormally high concentration of fats in the blood), hepatitis C, and chronic back pain. Herrera was a known heroin user as well. In the report, a former roommate told authorities that Herrera suffered an overdose one month prior to entering the jail.
According Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Kelly Hoover, Herrera’s arrest stemmed from various probation violations, including driving with a suspended license and being under the influence of and possessing a controlled substance.
On the evening of July 8, several groups held a vigil for Herrera in front of the jail. Among them was Families ACT! in Santa Barbara. Suzanne Riordan, the group’s executive director, questions the treatment of Herrera just before he died and whether he should have been in jail in the first place. Riordan told the Sun that she had received word just after his death that Herrera was handcuffed on his way to the hospital.
“He might be alive today if he hadn’t been in that jail,” Riordan told the Sun.
Herrera was having a seizure inside the bathroom of his jail cell when deputies found him, according to the coroner’s report. When Herrera stopped seizing, he resisted the deputies who placed him in restraints, the report states.
On the way to the hospital, Herrera tried resisting medics and both of his wrists were shackled to the rails of the gurney, according to the report. Both of his feet were also shackled.
But Hoover said this is standard policy with inmates who need medical treatment outside the jail.
“Once the determination is made that an inmate requires medical treatment outside of the facility, they are typically restrained in some fashion for the safety of the inmates,” Hoover said. “Also, if they are exhibiting signs that that they could injure themselves or others, they may be restrained for their safety and for everyone involved.”
This article appears in Jul 16-23, 2015.