A man was found dead minutes after being stripped and placed facedown in a single-occupancy “safety” cell at Santa Barbara’s Main Jail, a few hours after being arrested in Santa Maria and being placed on suicide watch, according to a statement from Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office Public Information Officer Raquel Zick.
Jonathan Paul Thomas, 45, was transported by Santa Maria Police after being arrested late Tuesday evening for misdemeanor domestic violence and felony false imprisonment. He was booked into the Main Jail around 1:32 a.m. on Wednesday, January 12, where he would be held on $10,000 bail.
According to authorities, Thomas “made statements about suicide” prior to and during the booking process, was deemed a danger to himself, and placed in a single-occupant “safety” cell.