A 79-year-old Santa Barbara County jail inmate who was still in custody died at a nursing facility.
Ernest Lattimer was arrested in January on multiple child molestation charges. Investigators believe the Santa Maria man was responsible for a series of crimes involving minors over a 15-year period at an in-home child care facility.
He had been housed at the North Branch Jail in Santa Maria. Because of multiple medical issues, Lattimer was transferred to a hospital in July. He was in a skilled nursing facility when he died.
The coroner’s office is investigating the death.
