Death of young homeless woman in Whittier triggers new calls for help

WHITTIER, Calif. (KABC) -- The death of a young homeless woman at an encampment in the Whittier area is triggering calls for new efforts to help the homeless in the area.

Corina Megan Ortega, 23, was found unresponsive in a tent at Whittier's Parnell Park on Wednesday.

The cause of death has not been determined, but Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn released a statement about her death:

"As our coroner is working to determine how Corinna died, my office is working to determine whether anything could have been done to prevent her death and connect her with the help she needed. I am working with PATH, the local service provider that had been in contact with her during her time at the Parnell Park encampment, to get a better sense of the challenges she faced. I will be convening a meeting of our local homeless services providers as well as the Sheriff's Homeless Outreach Services Team to discuss strategies for how we can better serve the individuals trying to survive in the Parnell Park encampment and how we can prevent another death like Corinna's."

Whittier officials said last October the city had a shelter crisis as a result of a large increase in the number of homeless people along with other issues.

Hahn's full statement is available at her website here.