BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — A 34 year old man died while in custody of the Kern County Sheriff’s Office, according to the department.
The unidentified man died while in custody on April 21 at a Kern County Jail facility and is the fourth Kern County Sheriff’s Office in-custody death in 2023.
The death was listed on the sheriff’s office’s AB 2761 reporting website.
There are few details listed on the KCSO website about the man’s death. The website described him as a 34-year-old white man who was booked and awaiting trial. It did not state which facility the man was housed in.
The cause and manner of his death was under investigation, KCSO spokesperson Lori Meza said.
The three previous inmate deaths occurred at the Lerdo Pre-trial Facility, Meza said.
As of Jan 1. AB 2761 requires law enforcement or correctional facilities to post specified information on an inmate’s death including: the facility and location where the death occurred, the decedent’s age, race and gender on its website within 10 days of the decedent’s death.
Previously, the sheriff’s office would issue a release with some details of the events leading up to an inmate’s death.
Meza told 17 News in January, the sheriff’s office would not issue press releases in the future because of AB 2761.
