Body of Deceased Inmate was in Jail Cell for More Than 24 Hours Before Santa Cruz Sheriffs Noticed

Two inmates who shared a cell in a housing unit designated for active gang members were arrested for the homicide by Sheriff's Office detectives on October 30: A 33-year-old inmate from Santa Cruz who has been in custody since August 2018 on murder charges, and a 25-year-old inmate from Watsonville who has been in custody since January 2019 on felony weapons charges.

Carrillo was 24 years old at the time of his death, He had been held in custody at the Santa Cruz County Main Jail on murder charges since April of 2013.

Three people in total have died while in custody of the Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office this year. In addition to Carillo, James Kohut was found deceased in his cell at the Santa Cruz County Main Jail on October 13, and Carlos Bolanos was found dead at the Rehabilitation and Re-entry Facility located at the Rountree Lane Sheriff’s Detention Facilities in Watsonville on May 20.

To date, there has been no public update from the Sheriff's Office on the cause of Bolanos' death. James Kohut had been held in jail since May 14, 2017 on felony sex related charges. An October 16 Sheriff's Office press release states that an autopsy performed by their forensic pathologist determined the manner of death to be a suicide, and the cause was, "an incised wound of left groin with partial transection of the femoral artery".

Additionally, there has been one other death of a citizen while in custody of local law enforcement this year. On June 1, 40-year-old Kevin Allen died while in custody of the Santa Cruz Police. A SCPD press release states officers were responding to a report that a man had fallen to the ground near Water Street and River Street in Santa Cruz when they found and took Kevin Allen into custody and transported him to jail, claiming he was intoxicated. Once at the jail, medical staff there determined Allen would need to be taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead after suffering cardiac issues on the ride over. To date, there has been no public update from the Sheriff's Office on the cause of Allen's death.