A woman who went into cardiac arrest on a downtown street and died Tuesday had been picked up by the Anchorage Safety Patrol -- a municipal program that takes those under the influence of drugs or alcohol out of public places -- the day before.
Police say alcohol could have been a factor in the early morning death but they're waiting for confirmation.
At 2:30 a.m. Tuesday, the Anchorage Police Department was summoned by medics to Third Avenue and Karluk Street, agency spokeswoman Jennifer Castro said.
The woman, who remains unidentified pending a next-of-kin notification, was taken to the Alaska Native Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead an hour later.
"It is possible alcohol may have been involved -- our understanding is (Anchorage Safety Patrol) had transported her the day before," Castro said. "Toxicology results and an autopsy will help determine the ultimate cause of death."
Police found no evidence of trauma or foul play.
The woman was found in the same area -- steps away from the Brother Francis homeless shelter and the Bean's Cafe soup kitchen -- where Harry Oxereok Jr. and John Lory Good were found dead in recent weeks.
She was the sixth person with ties to the city's homeless population to die in two weeks. Castro said she was known in the homeless community.
"Our understanding was she may have had an assisted-living home but chose to stay out on the street instead," Castro said.