Autopsy Inconclusive in Death of Man During Release by Police

An autopsy on the body of a Panorama City man who died as he was being freed by Los Angeles police revealed no signs of a struggle and was deemed inconclusive by the county coroner’s office Tuesday.

Luis Romero, 28, was stopped for a traffic violation and taken into police custody about 2:45 a.m. Friday in a case of mistaken identity involving a felony warrant. He began having seizures and lost consciousness as police were releasing him about 5 a.m.

Romero’s heart and breathing had stopped by the time he arrived at Mission Community Hospital in Panorama City. He was pronounced dead shortly after his arrival in the emergency room, hospital officials said.

Initial blood tests at the hospital indicated that Romero had cocaine in his system, but that conclusion has yet to be confirmed by the coroner’s toxicology tests, which are due in six weeks.