Santa Cruz County jail employees helped deliver a baby today when a woman who was being let out suddenly went into labor.
The 29-year-old Clearlake woman was being escorted out of the main jail at 259 Water St. in Santa Cruz around 1:30 a.m. when she went into labor in the building's main lobby, according to the Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office.
The woman had been arrested for public intoxication on Sunday, deputies said.
Jail staff members helped the woman and summoned members of the jail's medical team, who assisted in delivering a premature baby girl, deputies said.
The jail staff and medical team members then took life-saving measures until firefighters and paramedics arrived on scene to help the baby and mother.
Both were taken to Dominican Hospital.
Deputies said that the woman had not had any problems with other inmates or jail staff that they believe would have contributed to her going into labor prematurely.
