Woman Strips in O.C. Market, Dies

A woman stripped off her clothes inside a Santa Ana market today and died shortly after she was subdued by store employees.

The woman, believed to be in her 40s, began causing a disturbance around 8:20 a.m. in the liquor section of El Toro Market, 1340 W. First St., and then started taking her clothes off, according to Santa Ana police Cpl. Anthony Bertagna.

Two store employees, a security guard and the store’s manager subdued her and called authorities, but the woman died while paramedics and police were en route to the scene, Bertagna said.

It was still unclear why the woman died.

The disturbance was the first of two incidents in Santa Ana that involved women disrobing.

At about 9 a.m., a woman crashed her vehicle into a brick wall at 100 S. Fairview St., then started waving a 6-foot-long tree support at passing motorists before stripping off her clothes, Bertagna said.

Police suspect the woman was under the influence of bath salts, Bertagna said. She was taken to a hospital and was expected to be booked on suspicion of driving under the influence and drugs, he said.

--City News Service

PHOTO Patch file photo credit: Renee Schiavone.