Deputy Herbert Sibert was killed in an automobile accident returning to San Diego from Cardiff, California, after a robbery investigation.
Following a July 11, 1949, robbery at the Beacon Inn in Cardiff in which the suspects were still at large, Deputy Sibert began an investigation the next day. After finishing his investigation in the early hours of July 13, he headed home on Highway 101. Near Torrey Pines State Beach, his car apparently suffered a tire blowout, causing him to lose control and veer off the highway and down an embankment. Deputy Sibert was thrown from the vehicle. When fellow Deputies arrived at the scene, Deputy Sibert was found dead. He left behind a wife and two small children.
For decades, it was believed that Deputy Sibert was off duty at the time of his death. In April 2024, the San Diego Sheriff’s Office re-opened the case and concluded that Deputy Sibert had, in fact, been on duty at the time of the accident.
Prior to joining the San Diego Sheriff’s Office, Deputy Sibert served in the US Army as a combat infantry paratrooper during the Second World War. Sibert was awarded the Purple Heart and Bronze Star, honorably discharged after the end of the war. Soon after, he served as a police officer for the Glendale Police Department from January 1946 to February 1948.
End of Watch
July 13, 1949
Service Tenure
2 years
Age
30