A California woman says she was mistaken for a person by the same name and then held in jail for 13 days, according to a federal civil rights lawsuit filed Tuesday.
Bethany K. Farber, of Los Angeles County, alleges the ordeal began on April 16 when she was at the Los Angeles International Airport awaiting a flight for Puerto Escondido, Mexico, according to the suit filed in U.S. District Court’s Central District of California.
Instead of boarding the plane, however, Farber was escorted to a private room by personnel with the Transportation Security Administration. That’s where she waited for two hours before she was told there was a warrant for her arrest out of Texas, the lawsuit said
Farber, now incredulous, tried to explain there was a mistake, the lawsuit said, because she had never even set foot in the Lone Star State.
“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 lawsuit said.
The suit names as defendants the Los Angeles Police Department, Los Angeles Airport police and the city of Los Angeles. Faber is alleging her civil rights were violated, she was imprisoned falsely and the defendants were negligent and intentionally caused her emotional distress, according to the lawsuit.
The defendants named in the suit did not immediately respond to requests for comment Wednesday.
While at the airport and detained by TSA, Los Angeles police arrested Farber without confirming her identity or checking her driver’s license, the suit said.
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