Police identify body found on Milpas

BY ERIC LINDBERG
DAILY SOUND STAFF WRITER

Police officials identified the body of a homeless woman found near Milpas and Carpinteria streets Wednesday morning as 45-year-old Sandra McFarlane.
Her companions told officers she regularly stayed at that location and they hadn’t noticed anything unusual occur during the night before they found her body, Santa Barbara Police Spokesman Paul McCaffrey said. Authorities said McFarlane had several run-ins with police during the past few years, including two incidents in the past week.

On July 31, a witness told police McFarlane had injected herself with a syringe, and when officers arrived on the scene, she showed signs of narcotic use and was cited for illegal possession of syringes, McCaffrey said.
On July 26, police arrested a suspect who allegedly attacked McFarlane and struck her head several times, McCaffrey said, adding that she was treated and released from Cottage Hospital.
Detectives considered the possibility that injuries McFarlane sustained during the assault may have caused her death, but authorities said an autopsy conducted yesterday ruled that out. McCaffrey said a pending toxicology exam will help determine the final cause of death.