Woman dies after stripping off clothes in Santa Ana market

A woman died Wednesday while being detained by security officers after she stripped off her clothes and began acting erratically at a Santa Ana meat market, officials said.

The unidentified woman, whom police said may have been intoxicated or suffering from mental illness, started to remove her clothes at El Toro Carniceria shortly before 9 a.m., according to Santa Ana Police Department Cpl. Anthony Bertagna.

“She was at the store causing a scene,” Bertagna said. “She became combative and started taking her clothes off.”

After a scuffle, security officers handcuffed the woman and took her to the back of the store, he said. When the woman began exhibiting signs of physical distress, security officers called paramedics, Bertagna said.

The paramedics arrived and tried to help the woman, but she was pronounced dead at the scene, he said.

The cause of death is unknown, Bertagna said. He said homicide detectives were investigating the death, including reviewing surveillance footage from the store. He said an autopsy may provide clues as to whether the woman was intoxicated or under the influence of drugs.

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