SIMI VALLEY : Woman’s Mysterious Death Investigated

Authorities on Wednesday were investigating the mysterious death of an apparently healthy 29-year-old woman who died in her sleep a day after returning from a three-week overseas trip.

Victoria Barnes showed no signs of life when friends with whom she was staying in Simi Valley checked on her about 7:43 p.m. Tuesday, said Simi Valley police Sgt. Andy McCluskey.

Barnes, who returned Monday from a trip that included stops in the Philippines, the Caribbean and Holland, had been napping before she was found, McCluskey said.

“They went in and she didn’t look right,” McCluskey said. “They found that she wasn’t breathing and called 911.”

Responding officers tried to revive Barnes, who was then rushed to Simi Valley Hospital. She was pronounced dead at 8:31 p.m.

An autopsy Wednesday failed to reveal a cause of death, said Deputy Coroner Craig Stevens. The investigation will now hinge on the results of toxicological tests that could take three to six weeks, Stevens said.

Stevens said the woman probably died just prior to being found.

“She was most likely dead at the scene, but there was still the possibility that CPR and cardiac life support measures might have helped,” he said. “It wasn’t something they were just going to write off as, ‘She’s not breathing. There’s no heartbeat.’ They worked like crazy on her.”