Santa Barbara coroner investigates student death

The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Coroner’s Office is investigating the death of a University of California, Santa Barbara student whose body was found on the beach in Isla Vista.

The sheriff’s office says the body of 20-year-old Sierra Markee-Winkler of Eureka, California was found at about 7 a.m. Sunday by a bicyclist who called police.

Markee-Winkler was living in Isla Vista while attending the university. The cause and manner of her death is under investigation.

The densely populated beachside community of Isla Vista borders the university and is known for partying.

In recent months there’ve been multiple sexual assaults and an annual spring party that devolved into a riot, injuring dozens of people including several police officers.

The half-mile area has roughly 23,000 residents, of which 60 percent are students.