A transient woman apparently suffocated to death while diving into a clothing donation bin in downtown Redwood City this week, according to police.
The 55-year-old woman was found half way inside a donation bin near a downtown Bank of America parking lot just after 6 a.m. Thursday, June 29, according to Redwood City police.
The woman’s identity was not being released Friday pending notification of next of kin. Police said the exact cause of death has not yet been confirmed as officials were awaiting the coroner’s autopsy report. However, it appears she died from suffocation and no foul play is suspected, according to police.
The woman’s body was first discovered by Belmont police officers who were stopping off at the nearby Philz Coffee early Thursday morning on Broadway near County Center, according to Redwood City police.
The homeless woman died near the San Mateo County Superior Courthouse, county office buildings, massive new luxury housing complexes and a slew of office construction revamping downtown Redwood City.
This week’s apparent accidental death is not the first time a person has died after becoming stuck while climbing into a donation bin.
In February, a 56-year-old Pennsylvania woman reportedly died after getting her arm stuck while rummaging through a donation bin. The ladder she had been using to reach inside the bin apparently gave way and she spent the night dangling before she was found the following morning. The cause of death was possibly blunt force trauma and hypothermia, according to national news reports.
In 2016, Alameda police found a 43-year-old homeless woman who died after getting stuck inside a donation box outside a grocery store, according to KRON 4.
And in late 2015, a 58-year-old homeless man’s deceased body was found dangling from a clothing donation bin in New Jersey, according to national news reports.
(3) comments
Hello the article states the woman died near the County Center, court house and new buildings but the actual truth is that she died right new to Philz coffee and inside the Bank of America parking lot that is net to Philz coffee. I am unsure why they did not report the actual physical location where she was found.
[huh[thumbdown][unsure][ohmy][crying] Thats crazy! And sad.
Thank you Jackie Speier and Nancy Pelosi for turning San Mateo County into a 3rd World cesspool.
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