Assistant chief coroner Ed Winter told reporters Thursday that if actress Lindsay Lohan eventually showed up for court-ordered community service he would turn her away for being late.
Winter kept his word, and sent the actress packing after she arrived at the department's back door about 40 minutes late, said chief coroner Craig Harvey.
"She's welcome to come back, but she has to show up on time," Harvey said.
The star's publicist Steve Honig issued a statement blaming the tardiness on "a combination of not knowing what entrance to go through and confusion caused by the media waiting for her arrival."
Winter said Lohan (booking photo, below) has been to the Los Angeles County Coroner's office before and she knows how to enter the building.
Lohan will be returning Friday for orientation, said Honig, who added that "everything is all cleared up."
Lohan's expected duties at the morgue will include custodial work such as mopping, vacuuming and cleaning.
Around 10 a.m., Lohan tweeted, "With all of the stress and pressure from yesterday and today, I've never been so happy to go to therapy!!!! Also, I'm sorry for the confusion that I may of caused to those at the Coroner's office. Won't happen again, now I know where to go! Thank you for your help."
The drama started about 8:20 a.m. when Winter first addressed the media (video embedded, above).
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"They made an appointment to be here at 8 a.m., and she did not show," said Winter. "We evidently got a phone call that said she was 10 minutes away at 20 minutes to 8 a.m. and she still has not shown so she's failed to meet her appointment."
"We will let the volunteer center and the court know," Winter told reporters.
Lohan's service at the coroner's office was scheduled one day after Judge Stephanie Sautner revoked probation for the actress stemming from a DUI and a jewelry theft case. The judge ordered Lohan to complete 16 hours of community service at the morgue before a follow-up hearing on Nov. 2
Document: Lindsay Lohan Probation Order: Oct. 19, 2011 (PDF)
The 25-year-old star of "Mean Girls" left the Los Angeles Superior Court West District Airport courtroom in handcuffs Wednesday. She posted $100,000 bail less than two hours later.
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