Andrew Dodson Found Hanging at Long Beach Jail

A man arrested at his home Friday night for possession of a controlled substance and a hypodermic syringe was found two hours after arrival hanging by his sweatpants in the Long Beach City Jail, Long Beach Police revealed late Tuesday.

In what police called a suicide, Andrew Dodson, 33, was removed from the cell bars and treated by a registered nurse, then by Long Beach Fire Department paramedics who transported Dodson to an unidentified local hospital's intensive care unit. He managed to survive until New Year's Day, Sunday.

Many specifics of the case were not revealed in the press release e-mailed at 4:40 p.m. Tuesday regarding a hanging Friday night and a death declared Sunday. It was not released what prompted the arrest nor what time it occurred. It said Dodson was arrested at his home, and admitted into the city jail at approximately 9:05 p.m. without incident. Dodson was alone in a cell when a jail detention officer's routine check at 10:53 p.m. found him hanging from cell bars. The release did not state what time Dodson died Sunday.

Follow-up questions e-mailed to a department spokeswoman, Nancy Pratt, revealed Dodson lived in the 300 block of Elm Avenue, and was arrested on possession of a certain specific or controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance, both felonies, and midsdemeanor possessing a syringe. His bail was set at $10,000, Pratt said. The department does not release from booking documents the occupation of an individual, she said.

The Los Angeles District Attorney and Coroner's offices are investigating the death, as are Long Beach police department homicide detectives Scott Lasch and Donald Goodman, the police release stated. Anyone with information regarding this investigation may contact them at (562) 570-7244.