(L.A.) Beronica Torres, 51, Ended Her Life
Case Number: 2023-15020
Los Angeles County is reporting the death of a 51-year-old Hispanic female that occurred at a company.
The coroner’s office has identified the woman as Beronica Torres.
Manner of Death: Suicide
Cause of Death: Zinc Toxicity
RIP BERONICA TORRES (June 15, 1972 – November 2, 2023)
Formal pronouncement of death was made on Thursday at 1:29 a.m.
The Department of Medical Examiner publicly disclosed the CoD ruling on March 20, presumably after the results of tox screening had come back from the lab.
Suicide by zinc toxicity is usually associated with ingesting rat poison. We do not know if that was the case here.
Out of over 150,000 death records made public by the county’s medical examiner since 1999, this has been only the second case we’ve seen of death by zinc toxicity. The other case was from 2016 and it was an accident, not a suicide. This is a very painful way to go.
It is recommended that milk be given to anyone who overdoses on zinc or rat poison — if only to temper the pain while being transported to the hospital.