Councilman’s Wife Regains Consciousness

The wife of a Lodi city councilman who suffered serious head injuries during a possible robbery has regained consciousness, her daughter-in-law said Wednesday.

“The damage to her brain was pretty severe,” Jean Reid said of her mother-in-law, Marjorie Reid. “She’s progressing well and talking now, but she’s having a difficult time finding words.”

A hospital spokeswoman said Reid’s condition remained critical, but she was no longer on a respirator. Doctors removed a blood clot from the left side of her brain Wednesday and she will undergo hip surgery today.

A security guard found Reid, 62, unconscious Sunday outside Kelly’s Steak House near the Town & Country Hotel in Mission Valley. Details remain unclear as to the cause of her injuries, according to police spokesman Bill Robinson.

He said Reid was either the victim of a hit-and-run driver or was mugged. Her wallet, which had contained $200, was missing, he said.

Reid was taken to UC San Diego Medical Center for treatment of head injuries, a broken hip and a broken knee.

The hospital spokeswoman said Reid cannot be considered coherent, because she did not remember the name of her husband, Fred. Jean Reid said her mother-in-law does not know what happened to her or even that she is in the hospital.

“Most of her damage was on the left side of her brain around her speech and memory area,” Jean Reid said. When she entered Reid’s room, she added, Reid recognized her and called her name. Jean’s husband, Thomas, is the Reids’ son.

Jean Reid said Mayor Maureen O’Connor has spoken to the family to extend her sympathy.

Fred Reid is a councilman in Lodi, northeast of Stockton in Northern California. The Reids were in San Diego for the annual League of California Cities convention.