Woman who says she was mistakenly jailed for almost two weeks sues LAPD

A Los Angeles County woman on Tuesday filed a lawsuit against the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), Los Angeles airport police and the city of Los Angeles alleging that she was jailed for 13 days after being mistaken for a person with the same name, NBC News reports.

Bethany K. Farber claims that she was arrested at the Los Angeles International Airport while on her way to Puerto Escondido, Mexico.

Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers took Farber to a room and held her for two hours before telling her she was wanted for arrest in Texas.

Farber, who says she has never been to Texas, told the TSA officers that they were mistaken. The TSA allegedly did not confirm Farber’s identity or check her driver’s license.

Farber’s lawsuit reads: “Plaintiff informed the TSA officers who prevented her from boarding her flight that she had never been to Texas, and she certainly was not wanted for any crime there. Plaintiff repeatedly asked the TSA officers to check again, and further informed them that if there was in fact a warrant for her arrest it was identity theft.”

The LAPD held Farber at the Lynwood Women’s Jail for 13 days following her detention by the TSA.

Faber says that her wrongful imprisonment violated her civil rights, adding that the defendants in the suit were negligent and intentionally caused emotional distress.

“At no time did City Defendants ask Plaintiff for her driver’s license, date of birth, age, social security number or any other information which would have proven that Plaintiff did not have any warrant for her arrest in the State of Texas,” Farber’s lawsuit says.