Originally published by NOOZHAWK
Police say the death on Santa Cruz Boulevard was an apparent suicide using a ‘chemical concoction’ — reportedly hydrogen sulfide
Emergency personnel responded to the Mesa area of Santa Barbara on Saturday after a woman was found dead in a vehicle.
Santa Barbara police and firefighters were dispatched to the cul de sac at the ocean end of Santa Cruz Boulevard shortly after 7 a.m.
The woman was found deceased in the vehicle, an apparent suicide victim, according to Anthony Wagner, a police spokesman.
Hazmat crews were brought in because the woman used a “chemical concoction” in taking their own life, Wagner said.
Police had previously said the death was by carbon monoxide poisoning, but Wagner said that was incorrect.
The chemical mixture reportedly was hydrogen sulfide, which was created by combining readily available household products, but that could not be confirmed.
There reportedly was a note on the window of the vehicle warning about the presence of a dangerous gas, but that also could not be confirmed.
The woman’s name was not released pending notification of relatives.
The case remained under investigation, Wagner said, but was expected to be turned over to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Coroner’s Bureau.
Hazmat crews from other agencies, including the Montecito Fire Protection District, were called in to assist on the incident.
Click here for suicide prevention information and resources that are available 24/7.
The National Suicide Prevention Line is available 24/7 at 800.273.8255, and the Santa Barbara County 24-hour, toll-free hotline is 800.400.1572.
