Downtown Los Angeles

Woman Climbs Construction Crane in Downtown Los Angeles, Locks Herself Inside

Hours later, police arrested a man in a second crane-climbing incident not far away from the first.

A woman climbed a construction crane and locked herself in the pilot house about 150 feet above the ground in downtown Los Angeles Tuesday afternoon before SWAT officers reached her.

Police were already at the scene when firefighters were sent about 4:20 p.m. to the 100 block of West Cesar Chavez Avenue, near Spring Street, according to Margaret Stewart of the Los Angeles Police Department.

Workers turned off power to the crane and about 6:20 p.m. SWAT officers reached the woman, who was on a platform outside the pilot house. 

SWAT officers got the woman to climb down the ladder of the crane while onlookers cheered.

The woman, who was taken into custody and expected to undergo a psychological evaluation, was possibly homeless, according to police.

Some streets around the scene were either closed or had traffic lanes reduced as the drama played out.

Rescuers put a harness on the woman and attached her to a safety rope, then allowed her to climb down the crane ladders to the ground.

Police arrested a man in a second crane-climbing incident just before 11 p.m. in the area Eighth and Hope streets, also in downtown Los Angeles. The man was believed to be a copycat of the previous incident.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Copyright CNS - City News Service
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