Black and Missing: Mitrice Richardson, College Grad, Vanished After Being Released From Police Custody

Mitrice Richardson may have been the victim of California budget cuts. The 24-year-old graduate of Cal State Fullerton has been missing since September, when she had dinner at a Malibu restaurant. When she couldn't pay the $89 bill, the restaurant called police.

Richardson was arrested. Restaurant patrons and other witnesses said she had been acting strangely. There was only one drink on the bill, but Richardson was telling patrons she was from Mars and speaking gibberish. Authorities later said they found evidence Richardson may have been suffering from bipolar disorder. Nevertheless, because of jail overcrowding, police released Richardson in a remote area. She did not have a purse, a cell phone, car or wallet.

Richardson vanished and has not been heard from since.

According to the Los Angeles Times:

U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters (D- Los Angeles) called for the FBI's involvement, and Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas asked the Sheriff's Department to review the policies that led to the release of the Cal State Fullerton graduate from the custody of the Lost Hills/Malibu Sheriff's Station shortly after midnight Sept. 17, 2009, without her car, purse or cellphone.

"I've been begging. I've been pleading. I've been asking for all the help I can get," said Richardson's father, Michael. "I haven't gotten anywhere."

The Richardson family has continued to apply pressure to authorities. They felt that not enough was being done to locate their daughter. Since they began applying pressure, drones have been sent out to search the rugged Malibu hills and volunteers began searching skid row in downtown Los Angeles. A homicide investigation was launched as well.

"We just hope that she's safe; we don't want to think anything more than that," Rhonda Minter, a search volunteer, told the Los Angeles Times. "We just hope that someone is watching over her."

Police should explain why they would release a young woman who was acting strangely late at night, with no means of catching a bus or even calling anyone to come get her. States like California are now seeing the financial effects of incarcerating people for silly crimes, but they still must behave responsibly. Maybe this young woman should have just been given a ticket for a court appearance and never taken into custody if she couldn't pay this relatively small dinner bill.

According to the L.A. Times:

Sheriff's officials have said their procedure is to get people who appear to be mentally incapacitated in to a facility for a mental evaluation. But, they said, deputies did not see anything that would prompt such a call. The custody assistant who processed Richardson at the substation, Sharon Cummings, has said she seemed scared to be in jail, but was coherent and talking. Cummings said she doesn't release women at night if they don't have a ride, but Richardson insisted and said she was going to "hook up with friends." Richardson's family has questioned the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department's handling of her arrest and release and for not holding her for a psychological evaluation.

Police should have tried to get this young woman help if witnesses said she was acting strange. That could have involved taking her to the hospital, instead of jail or calling a family member or friend to pick her up. Since when is an $89 dinner more important than someone's safety?

Police are asking anyone with information about her whereabouts to call Los Angeles detectives at 213-486-6900. A $25,000 reward is being offered for information that leads to her.