Old Woman Forgotten in Vault

Calif. woman locked in bank 6 hours
August 18, 2007

LAGUNA WOODS, Calif. --A 73-year-old woman became trapped in a bank when employees accidentally locked her in the building while she was looking over the contents of a safe deposit box.

Marian Prescher, who has diabetes, apparently passed out during the ordeal because she had not taken her medication with her. A cleaning person discovered her six hours later.

Prescher visited the Bank of America branch Wednesday and was given use of a privacy room to examine her valuables. Employees left her in the room when they closed the bank at about 6 p.m.

"They forgot she was there," sheriff's spokesman Jim Amormino said.

Shortly after midnight, deputies received a call from a cleaning person who discovered the woman. Prescher was unconscious and cold to the touch when authorities arrived.

"She may have died," Amormino said. "It just seems to be a terrible oversight."

Bank of America said it was investigating.

Prescher said she knew nothing about what happened until she awoke at the hospital where she was treated and released.

"I just couldn't believe it, that they would leave me in there," she said.