September 10, 1975: Cardiac Arrest During Hospital Abortion

Pacoima Lutheran Hospital

Thirty-one-year-old immigrant Mitsue Mohar went to Pacoima Lutheran Hospital in Los Angeles County for a safe and legal abortion on August 5, 1975. Dr. Baca performed the D&C abortion under general anesthesia. After the abortion, Mitsue went into convulsions. She remained 16 days at Pacoima Lutheran without regaining consciousness.

On August 21, she was transferred to LA County/USC Medical Center, where she died on September 10 without ever regaining consciousness. The autopsy found that she had suffered hypoxic encephalopathy due to cardiac arrest during the abortion, and had developed pneumonia which eventually killed her.

Watch Fatal Abortion at California Hospital on YouTube.

Source: LA County Coroner Report 75-10935