Santa Barbara County Jail inmate dies at hospital

A Santa Barbara County Jail inmate with “chronic medical issues” died early Friday morning after being admitted to a local hospital the previous day, officials said.

Sheriff’s deputies found Henry Acuna, 60, of Santa Barbara unresponsive in his single-person cell Thursday morning, according to a news release from the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office.

Acuna was taken by ambulance to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital. His health “continued to decline” and the attending physician pronounced Acuna dead at 3:18 a.m. Friday, the release said. Acuna’s next of kin has been notified.

Acuna was booked into County Jail in May 2017 for attempted robbery and an outstanding warrant, the release said. He was under medical observation at the jail because of his poor health.

The Sheriff’s Office is conducting an investigation to determine the cause and manner of death, according to the release. The Sheriff’s Criminal Investigations Division also is conducting an investigation to determine the circumstances surrounding Acuna’s death.

This story was originally published March 2, 2018 at 6:19 PM with the headline "Santa Barbara County Jail inmate dies at hospital."