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Woman in jail for days in LA after having same name

A California woman was preparing for a trip to Mexico but instead spent 13 days in a Los Angeles jail after police wrong her to another person with the same name, according to allegations in a lawsuit filed Tuesday.

Bethany K. Farber filed a lawsuit against the city of Los Angeles being falsely arrested in federal court.

Last April, she was waiting to board a flight to Mexico at Los Angeles International Airport when she was stopped by the Transportation Security Administration, according to the lawsuit.

“The TSA came in and said she had a warrant for her arrest in Texas. Miss Farber, this Bethany Farber, has never been to Texas,” her attorney Rodney Diggs said at a news conference on Tuesday.

Farber was taken to a private room at the airport, questioned, and then arrested and sent to prison, the lawsuit states.

“At the time of Miss Farber’s arrest, police did nothing to confirm this Bethany Farber was Bethany Farber,” Diggs said. He shared photos of his client and who he believed had the same name and was being sought by police at the time. CNN has not been able to reach the person for comment and will therefore not be showing pictures of her.

The “LA Police Department” could have checked her fingerprints, date of birth, social security number or even a photo. They don’t do that,” Diggs said.

Farber had “repeatedly” asked officers to double check her identity, she said on Tuesday, but “they completely blew me away.”

She is suing for her civil rights violations, emotional distress, and negligence, among other claims. She is seeking restitution and punitive damages.

The Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office said in an email to CNN that it will review the complaint and have no further comment at this time. CNN is seeking comment from the LAPD and TSA.

According to Diggs, Farber is being held without bail, and her family must help their daughter get out of prison.

Assistant District Attorney Olivia Neu, from Cooke County Texas, said in a phone interview with CNN that Bethany Farber’s mother, who was arrested in Los Angeles, cleared up confusion between the women.

Farber’s mother sent Neu a photo and information, saying authorities had arrested the wrong person, Neu said.

“I was able to compare that photo with surveillance video we had from the office to determine that Bethany Farber was, in fact, incorrect, so we immediately dismissed the case and informed prison for her release,” she told CNN. Law enforcement is still looking for another person with the same name, and there is a criminal wanted warrant for the arrest of that woman, according to Neu.

Farber’s attorneys say their client was not immediately released from prison in Los Angeles. “The City Defendants had no reason to keep Plaintiff at Lynwood Women’s Prison but kept her there for an additional three days,” according to the filing.

Farber said her grandmother suffered a stress stroke and died shortly after Farber was released. “I believe I would have had more time with her if this situation hadn’t happened,” she said.

“This is an experience that no one should go through, especially a law-abiding citizen,” said Farber, an esthetician.

“This has caused me a lot of trouble in my life, a lot of anxiety, it has made it difficult for me financially, it has affected my business, and there are a lot of outsiders. this is happening with no one to advocate for them,” she added. “Every day they are wrongfully imprisoned, their lives are being ruined, being separated from work and family.”

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