LOCAL : ‘Bizarre’ Woman Dies in Custody

A woman who struggled with police while being taken into custody for a mental evaluation collapsed at the Van Nuys Jail and later died at a hospital, authorities said today.

The 25-year-old woman’s name and hometown were not released pending notification of relatives, Detective Ron Karlson said. Los Angeles police subdued the woman after being summoned to the 12700 block of Mercer Street in Pacoima at 2:30 p.m. Monday, Karlson said. Officers were called by paramedics who had responded to a report of a woman acting “bizarre” and falling on the street, Karlson said.

Four officers restrained the struggling woman and handcuffed her as she was taken into custody for a mental evaluation, Karlson said.

She was taken first by ambulance to Olive View Medical Center for psychiatric evaluation, but before she was admitted police determined that she had several outstanding misdemeanor arrest warrants and she was then taken to the jail. While being booked, the woman collapsed and stopped breathing, Karlson said.

The jail doctor attempted to revive her and paramedics took her to Valley Hospital Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead at 4:27 p.m., Karlson said. The cause of death was unknown.