Woman Dies in LBPD Custody

LONG BEACH — A woman, who was found unresponsive in her cell at about 5:15 a.m. June 28, 2013, was pronounced dead by a responding doctor.

The woman was arrested at about 2:35 p.m. June 27, at Long Beach Police Headquarters. She had arrived to the police facility yelling and screaming, and when officers contacted her to see if something was wrong, she indicated she wanted to come inside, officials said.

During a warrant check, officers discovered she had outstanding misdemeanor warrants and was taken into custody.  She was booked without incident and placed in a cell within the Women’s Jail.  During jail rounds throughout the night, nothing unusual relating to the woman’s condition was noted.

During routine morning rounds, June 28, jail staff attempted to wake her so she could receive her morning breakfast, but she did not respond.  Jailers immediately summoned a nurse and doctor, however, the doctor indicated the inmate was already deceased and no life-saving measures were possible.

The inmate is only being identified as a female in her mid 40s pending notification of next of kin, and she is believed to be a Long Beach resident.

The Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office is conducting an independent investigation into this incident and will determine the official cause of death.