Woman’s Death May Have Been Accident

A 59-year-old Reseda woman found dead in the trunk of her car Tuesday afternoon apparently suffocated while attempting to sleep off the effects of depression, police said Wednesday.

Patricia Fratus, who had been missing since Friday afternoon, was discovered in the 7400 block of Calvin Avenue, just a few blocks from her home. A family member recognized the car about 4:10 p.m. Tuesday and notified police.

Los Angeles Police Det. Malena Heissel said Fratus occasionally left home unannounced for several days at a time to recuperate from periodic bouts of depression. Family members noted that she had neglected to take medication for her illness in the days before her death.

Accustomed to sleeping in the family’s station wagon during her absences, Fratus took a different car last week and apparently crawled into the trunk to rest, Heissel explained.

“She parked, laid down, closed it and didn’t realize she couldn’t open the trunk,” she said. Residents nearby reported seeing the car parked in the neighborhood since at least Saturday morning.

An autopsy to determine the exact cause of death will take place later this week, but Heissel said police believe Fratus’ death was an accident.

“We believe that she just fell asleep and might have asphyxiated,” she said.