Santa Rosa woman arrested for allegedly inhaling drugs while talking with cops

A woman was arrested in Santa Rosa after allegedly inhaling nitrous oxide while speaking with police. A woman was arrested in Santa Rosa after allegedly inhaling nitrous oxide while speaking with police. Photo: Santa Rosa Police Department Photo: Santa Rosa Police Department Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Santa Rosa woman arrested for allegedly inhaling drugs while talking with cops 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

A woman was arrested after doing drugs while talking to police officers in the parking lot of a Santa Rosa hospital Saturday, police said.

Police were summoned to Memorial Hospital around noon when a caller said there was a woman with a gun sitting in a car in the parking lot.

Officers found the car near the emergency room entrance, and one officer began talking with the woman, identified by police as Vanessa Harlan, 36.

As they spoke, the woman began doing “whip its” — inhaling shots of nitrous oxide, also known as laughing gas, from a canister in order to get high, police said.

Harlan was removed from the car, where officers found a .45-caliber semiautomatic pistol, according to police.

She was arrested for inhaling nitrous oxide with intent to get high and carrying a concealed firearm in a vehicle.

Harlan was in custody at the Main Adult Detention Facility in Santa Rosa on Sunday. Her bail was set at $10,000, and she is scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday.

Filipa Ioannou is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: fioannou@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @obioannoukenobi