The 21-year-old North Carolina woman was in custody in a New Jersey police department when she was found unresponsive, authorities said.
NEPTUNE TOWNSHIP - A 21-year-old North Carolina woman died while in police custody after being arrested on a pair of charges earlier this month.
Katie Lee Thomas, 21, of Blacksmith Road in Efland, North Carolina, was arrested in Neptune Township on Aug. 17 and charged with possession of drug paraphernalia and a disorderly persons offense, authorities said.
Thomas was in custody at the Neptune Township Police Department when she was found unresponsive and not breathing, Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office spokesman Charles Webster said Tuesday.
Authorities performed CPR on Thomas and she was subsequently transported to Jersey Shore University Medical Center where she was pronounced dead, Webster said.
The prosecutor's office is investigating the incident, Webster said.
No other details about Thomas's death or the specifics of her arrest were released as of Tuesday evening.
Rob Spahr may be reached at rspahr@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TheRobSpahr. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
