County Sued Over Release of Man Struck by Train
A $50-million claim was filed Monday against the county on behalf of a mentally ill Glendale man who was struck and critically injured by a train 2 1/2 hours after being released from the Men’s Central Jail.
The claim contends that William Penuela, diagnosed for 20 years as a paranoid schizophrenic, was hallucinating and unable to care for himself when he was struck March 1 by the Amtrak passenger train at a downtown rail yard.
Penuela, 36, was arrested on Feb. 13 for allegedly vandalizing a Glendale church. The charges were dropped two weeks later.
The claim alleges that jail employees released Penuela to the streets despite requests by family members that he be transfered directly to a psychiatric hospital. County attorneys did not have an immediate comment.
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