LONG BEACH CA June 30 2013— Police jail staff found a dead female prisoner in her cell early Friday -- the third in-custody death in the last two months.
The woman, who was not identified, was found at 5:15 a.m., during a routine bed check, and she was subsequently pronounced deceased by a doctor, police said, adding that there were no signs of foul play.
The female, who was in her mid-40s, was arrested Thursday at about 2:35 p.m. at Long Beach Police Headquarters, where she arrived yelling and screaming.
When officers contacted her to see if something was wrong, she indicated she wanted to enter the headquarters, police said.
During a routine warrant check, officers discovered she had outstanding misdemeanor warrants and was taken into custody.
The woman was booked without incident and placed in a cell within the Women's Jail.
During jail rounds throughout the night, nothing unusual relating to the female's condition was noted, according to police.
On their morning rounds, jail staff attempted to wake the inmate so she could receive her morning breakfast, but she did not respond. Jailers immediately summoned a nurse and doctor. However, the doctor indicated the inmate was already deceased and no life-saving measures were possible.
As is routine in all in-custody death investigations within Long Beach Police jail facilities, homicide detectives responded to the scene and are conducting a thorough investigation, police said.
The Los Angeles County Coroner's Office is conducting an independent investigation into this incident and will determine the official cause of death, police said.
In late May, a male suspect died in custody after he was found entering employee vehicles on private property, according to police. He died at the scene after going into medical distress.
And in late April, a 50-year-old woman who had been arrested on a felony narcotics charge went into medical distress and died in a holding cell at the Long Beach Jail.
Source-press-telegram