Man who spent night in Santa Barbara jail found dead nearby a week later

Kern County native David Mireles, 53, was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence in Santa Barbara County on Aug. 19 and spent the night in the local jail before being released the next day. More than five hours after his release, the California Highway Patrol alerted the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office that he was missing from Shafter. Deputies conducted an extensive search of the jail property, nearby businesses, and areas frequented by recently released individuals, but did not locate him at that time.

A week later, a custodian working on county grounds discovered Mireles' body on a hillside just a few hundred feet from the jail building. The area where he was found required leaving a walkway and entering brush to see the vegetation. Temperatures during the week he was missing hovered between 79 and 81 degrees.

Investigators believe his body may have been at the location since his release, but the cause of death has not yet been determined. The case echoes a similar incident in Azusa where a man released after a DUI arrest died from extreme heat three days later.