4-year old girl found hanging identified
WESTCHESTER, CA — Police are investigating the death of a 4-year-old girl, found unresponsive in a closet.
The child was discovered by family members around 11:30 a.m. Thursday at the Madrid Apartments in the 8600 block of Belford Avenue. Police say the girl was found hanging in a closet a back bedroom.
Family members attempted to administer CPR, coached by a 911 operator, until emergency personnel arrived and took over.The girl was taken to Centinela Hospital Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead.
Neighbor Del Evano said he heard the family wailing and crying. He ran to help, and saw the child on the floor.
“I saw a gentleman come out crying, with his face pretty much white without blood,” Evano said. “It was an accidental hanging… something like that,” he added.
The child was Miriah Cobb, said coroner’s Chief Craig Harvey. She was reported to have been found hanging by the neck, he said. An autopsy was initially scheduled for Friday, but has been delayed until further notice.
Police officials said they do not believe that foul play was involved, and that the child’s death appears to have been a tragic accident. They believe the child was playing unsupervised for a brief period, and somehow managed to choke herself by hanging in the closet.
Nevertheless, the department’s Abused Child Unit is investigating the case. The specialized unit investigates all unexplained deaths involving children under the age of 11.
Police report that grieving family members have been very cooperative with the department’s investigation.
Source: KTLA 5 Image courtesy of: KTLA 5 11 March 2012
1:49a.m. P.S.T.