Woman Dies in Leap From 19th Floor

A Newport Beach woman who apparently was suffering from postpartum depression leaped to her death Friday from the 19th floor of the Four Seasons Hotel, police said.

Victoria Karter, 33, checked into the 20-story hotel at 650 Newport Center Drive and jumped from the narrow balcony of her room about 4:45 p.m., less than an hour after checking in, police said. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

No note was found at the hotel.

Authorities were able to locate only one witness, who said the woman struck the side of the building during her fall before landing in the front of the hotel.

Karter was under a doctor’s care for postpartum depression since giving birth to a girl four months ago, police said.

Postpartum depression, sometimes called the “baby blues,” is a condition that some experts say afflicts as many as half the women who give birth. Symptoms include insomnia, loss of appetite, loss of energy, difficulty concentrating and rejection of the newborn. In its most severe manifestation--postpartum psychosis--the disorder can induce delusions, hallucinations and even violence.