A female employee died after an altercation on June 24 with a female manager at a 7-Eleven store on Melrose Avenue.  (photo by Edwin Folven )

Los Angeles Police Department investigators are awaiting the results of a medical examiner’s report before moving forward with a criminal case against a female manager at a 7-Eleven store in the 5600 block of Melrose Avenue who had an altercation with a female employee who later died.

The altercation occurred on June 24 inside the 7-Eleven store in a strip-mall at Melrose and Rossmore avenues. Family members of the employee who died, Jessica McLaughlin, 24, said she was attacked by her manager at the store. Staff members called police and paramedics, who found McLaughlin unresponsive on the floor. She was hospitalized for eight days in critical condition until her family removed McLaughlin from life support on July 2.

Jessica McLaughlin’s brother Sean started a GoFundMe campaign that raised more than $39,000 as of July 9. Sean McLaughlin said in an accompanying statement on GoFundMe that the store manager held his sister down, “sat on top of her, and didn’t let her breathe.” He said the family stayed by McLaughlin’s side throughout her stay in the hospital.

“After getting second opinions and doing everything we could, we have to make the impossible decision to let her go,” he said.

The LAPD conducted an investigation at the scene the day of the incident, and later handed the case to the West Bureau Homicide Unit when the victim died. The fight was captured by security cameras inside the store. The manager fled by the time officers arrived.

Lt. Sean Kinchla, with the West Bureau Homicide Unit, said the case is classified as a death investigation while authorities await the final results of an autopsy. Police have not named the manager pending the outcome of the investigation. Kinchla said she is not in custody, and it is to be determined whether she will face criminal charges.

“It’s a waiting game,” he added. “We do know there was an altercation. We don’t know if it caused the death or not. We can’t make a judgement yet.”

No timeline is available for when the results of the autopsy will be available.

Sean McLaughlin’s said the family is going through an “unbelievably hard time.” He described his sister as a kind person.

“Jessica had a way of making people feel safe, accepted and loved. You could come to her with anything and know you wouldn’t be judged,” he said. “She was the kind of person who rooted for the underdog, who lifted people up when they were down and who truly saw the good in everyone. She had such a beautiful soul and deserved so much better than the way her life was taken from her.”