Man, 58, Who Died in Custody Is Identified; Autopsy Scheduled
Officials on Sunday identified a 58-year-old man who died in police custody this weekend as Dale White.
Police said White was a transient who was arrested Saturday morning in the West Valley on suspicion of public drunkenness. He was booked at the Van Nuys Jail around 9:25 a.m.
At about 2:30 p.m., White began experiencing delirium tremens and was moved to the Van Nuys Jail medical ward, said Officer Eddy Zelaya of the Los Angeles Police Department.
“About an hour later, a nurse found him slumped over and he was pronounced dead,” Zelaya said.
A coroner’s official, Fred Corral, said White’s body was scheduled to be transported to the coroner’s office from Northridge Hospital Sunday afternoon.
The coroner’s office will perform an autopsy this week to determine the cause of death.
Police would not comment Sunday on the cause of White’s death, but on Saturday, Lt. Tim Moss of the West Valley Division said White was given a medical screening that revealed no illness or injury. “Apparently his heart gave out on him,” Moss said of the suspect, whom he described as overweight.
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