Woman Kills Herself During Visit to Mental Health Clinic

A 21-year-old Anaheim woman with a history of suicide attempts killed herself with a handgun Thursday while alone in a room at an Orange County mental health clinic, spokesmen for the sheriff-coroner’s office said.

The woman, identified as Susana L. Soto, walked into the county’s Adult Outpatient Services office at 1623 W. 17th St. in Santa Ana about 12:20 p.m., senior deputy coroner Dan Aikin said.

She had been receiving treatment on an outpatient basis at the clinic and was a few minutes early for a scheduled appointment with a health care worker, Aikin said.

Heard a Gunshot

Lt. Tom Conner of the Sheriff’s Department said the woman was put in a room by herself to take a written test.

“A few minutes later mental health workers heard a gunshot and called paramedics, who discovered the victim had shot herself in the head,” Conner said.

She was taken to UCI Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead about 2:40 p.m.

Soto had put the barrel of a .38-caliber handgun in her mouth and pulled the trigger, Aikin said.

“It is a confirmed suicide,” Aikin said. “We’re not sure what the roots of her problem with mental illness were, but according to a sister the victim had prior suicide attempts.”

County Administrative Officer Larry Parrish said he was told of the shooting about 2:30 p.m. Thursday but was given only brief information.

Considerable Concern

“I’m not in a position to tell you how the incident happened,” Parrish said late Thursday. “I know there was considerable concern for the victim and her family and also, undoubtedly, for the staff. But at this time I don’t know much more about it.”

Aikin said Soto apparently carried the gun into the mental health clinic, but he did not know where she had concealed the weapon.

Relatives told the coroner’s office that Soto had had the gun for some time, Aikin said.

Aikin, who is conducting a coroner’s investigation, said he did not have time Thursday afternoon to interview county mental health workers and review Soto’s case file. He said he plans to conduct interviews and review the file today.

Because the woman’s family spoke only Spanish, Aikin said, he received sketchy information about Soto’s health background.

County Health Care Agency Director Tom Uram, who oversees the county’s mental health system, including outpatient clinics, said he was aware of the woman’s death but would not explain the details surrounding the incident.

“I have no comment on that,” Uram said. “Yes, I was made aware of the situation of an incident at that office. But you’ll have to rely on the police report. They are handling the investigation.”