Overview

• At around 6:10 p.m. on August 5, Lodi police and fire crews responded to a call at North Pacific Avenue and West Elm Street and freed an unconscious woman trapped in a donation bin; she was later pronounced dead at a hospital.
• The victim, a white woman estimated to be between 35 and 45 years old, has not been identified and it remains unclear how long she was inside the bin.
• Investigators have launched an active probe and are urging anyone who witnessed the incident or has information to contact the Lodi Police Department.
• This fatality is the latest in more than 20 recorded entrapment cases in North American clothing donation bins since 2007, including two earlier deaths this year in New York and Florida.
• Engineers and advocacy groups have long called for required safety upgrades—such as narrower deposit chutes, interior release mechanisms and motion sensors—to prevent further tragedies.