VILLAGE OF MUNNSVILLE — A 35-year-old mother has died after law enforcers said she got high on bath salts, attacked her 3-year-old child and had to be pepper sprayed and Tasered into submission outside her home in Madison County Tuesday evening.

An autopsy was scheduled for today to determine the cause of death.

Oneida-based state police said 35-year-old Pamela McCarthy was punching and choking her 3-year-old child at her North Main Street residence at about 7:45 p.m. Several neighbors had called 9-1-1, authorities said, and Trooper Christopher Budlong responded to the apartment complex. McCarthy had also started attacking her next-door neighbor.

Authorities said McCarthy, who was visibly under the influence of an illegal substance, started attacking Budlong after he arrived, and he tried to detain and hand-cuff her. Troopers said Budlong tried his pepper spray, but it had no effect on McCarthy.

So Budlong pulled out his Taser and gave McCarthy an electric shock, finally bringing her under control. McCarthy was hand-cuffed and taken into custody.

But then McCarthy went into apparent cardiac arrest, authorities said. She was treated by rescue personnel on the scene before being rushed to the Oneida Health Care Center. She later died at the hospital, authorities said.

Evidence collected at the scene indicates that McCarthy was under the influence of bath salts, troopers said. The synthetic drug known as bath salts can cause extreme paranoia, delusions, super human strength, invincibility, hallucinations, suicidal and aggressive and violent behavior. Authorities said the drug contains the chemicals Mephedrone and MDPV, which can cause brain damage or permanent psychosis after a single use.

The 3-year-old child was treated for minor injuries at University Hospital in Syracuse and was then release to other family members, troopers said. The criminal investigation is continuing, along with an internal investigation to see if Budlong followed proper procedures. He remains on duty with pay, state police officials said.

The Madison County District Attorney’s Office is expected to present the case to a grand jury to see if any criminal charges should be filed.