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Faulty Railing May Have Led to Alexandria Death

By Eric Richardson
Published: Friday, November 20, 2009, at 08:41AM
Spring Street Police Tape Eric Richardson []

Police tape blocks off a section of Spring street where the Coroner's office had just removed the body of an 87-year-old man.

DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES — A failed fire escape railing may have led to the death of an 87-year-old resident of the Alexandria this morning.

Spring street was closed for over two hours this morning as police investigated what they are calling an accidental fall. They believe that the man was leaning on a railing which gave way, causing him to lose his balance and drop approximately nine floors. They do not believe the incident was a suicide or that foul play was involved.

A section of that railing lay on the street next to the man, whose body was removed by the Coroner's office shortly before 8:30am. Officials on-scene were preparing to reopen the street to traffic, which was heavily backed up to the north as morning commuters encountered the closure.

The 1906 Alexandria Hotel was recently renovated as affordable housing by The Amerland Group.

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Guest 1

Fina on November 20, 2009, at 10:33AM – #1

My window is one floor below next to the fire escape. My window was open this morning. I heard no scream..... His body laying outside my window is the most disturbing thing I have ever seen.


Guest 2

Joe on November 20, 2009, at 01:00PM – #2

Wow. This is really bad press for that building. Hopefully the investigation into the matter makes Amerland Group go in and make sure everything is safe.


Guest 3

Joe N. on November 20, 2009, at 01:15PM – #3

A man plunges to his death and we speak of traffic inconvenience and bad press for a building.


Guest 4

eddie on November 20, 2009, at 01:43PM – #4

I have seen some crazy shit go down in that building. My closest friend in Jr. high lived there for 15 years of his life. Anyone who chooses to live there should think twice about it. From murders to crack whores getting raped to kids overdosing on ecstasy at the raves there. I am sure that building has some fucked up energy.


Guest 5

Alexandrian on November 20, 2009, at 03:29PM – #5

I live in the building and it's FINE. Please. Since the conversion there are no random "crack whores" here, in fact there is always a ton of security walking around. On Tuesday in fact as I walked thru the Mezzanine ballroom in fact I had one come up and accost me since they saw a figure walking around thru their cameras. There are many elderly, poor and sick residents but what would you EXPECT with a low-income designation? Most are perfectly well-behaved. I haven't seen any homeless stragglers in the few months I've lived here; I'm sure it was different before 2007, but it's vastly improved now. I wish there were still "raves" here, but that's kind of 1994, isn't it? Instead there's a brand new bar and restaurant downstairs. Face it: it was, even if only partially, this 87 year old's fault to lean against an old railing, as much as the "building's haunted ghosts" that caused this death. Actually, I'm going to say it's more him than the ghosts. Just deciding to use logic here.


Guest 6

Rezzie on November 20, 2009, at 06:17PM – #6

Are we sure it was an accident? Terminally ill people and people in a lot of pain which happens in old age can do desperate things. Railing would have fallen either way. There have been a lot of jumpers recently. Has anyone considered foul play? Is it even possible all these people are being pushed?


Guest 7

bowchikabowbow on November 20, 2009, at 07:35PM – #7

Wow my comment, which defended the victim, got taken down. But Alexandrian's comment still stands. Alexandrian blamed the victim in this incident. I wonder if Alexandrian has ever leaned against railing before in his life? And if he ever does again, I frankly hope it breaks on him.

Please take down comments that slander victims or else your blog is nothing more than a rag.


Guest 8

Welle on November 20, 2009, at 08:28PM – #8

Sort of a sad, ironic counterpart to the "Nervous Nellie" fire inspector who a few weeks ago was up in arms about the flower boxes -- attached rather unobtrusively on the top, OUTER portion of a railing -- on the fire escape of that other old hotel in downtown.


Guest 9

dj Ernie Pearl on November 20, 2009, at 08:50PM – #9

So sad that some Angelinos still have that negative view of downtown. I used to live in The Yorkshire Apts on Broadway near 7th St back in 200-02 and I can tell you by experience how bad this area was. Back then it was common to see druggies and messed up people going in and out of The Alexandria. Hell, the whole neighborhhod of 5th and Spring was a big drug-fest area.Homeless people would be sleeping where the base of The old California Bank Building(Barry Shys' almost completed conversion). It's amazing to see how clean that area is and how much The Alexandria has changed for the better. Love the new look and that corner is gonna rival 4th/Main very soon.


Guest 10

burnbrightandibelieve on November 21, 2009, at 12:21AM – #10

r.i.p. mr 87 yr old that wanted to see the world or get some fresh air in the early a.m. The rooms here can be somewhat stuffy since there's no central air and a fan that doesn't work as well as a fan should. Considering all the renovations in the building, i'd have thought it'd be safe to go on the fire escape too..there's one right outside my door.I'm also a resident in this building..and i work a block over. The area is constantly progressing. If you're currently not a local here..please don't give downtown a bad rep since you're not around enough to see what's going on on a daily basis. DT is a diamond in the ruff indeed. There's artwalk once a month, some really dope bars like Bar 107, The Down and Out (in the alexandria building,they have free pool and 8 plasma tv's..great sports bar)and La Cita..great coffee shops like Lost Souls, Groundworks,LA Cafe..Pershing Square Park throws live events and have ice skating for the holidays.FUN! and there's a dope theater Downtown Independent (google it) It's like any other major downtown..or at least it's becoming.

R I P Mr 87...

i <3 dtla


Guest 11

Russell Brown on November 21, 2009, at 12:41AM – #11

Recieved the security alert that there was a street closure outside HDBID's office early this am. Went to our service center on Spring to see what had happened, The street was blocked after the incident by LAPD with the covered body on the street.

No one knows for sure what happened but the body was 20 feet away from the building in the 2nd lane of traffic with a wide sidewalk in front of the building. No structural part of the railing was gone. What was missing is a decorative top molding of the railing.

Difficult to understand how someone can accidentally fall from a balcony and be propelled 20 feet away from the balcony. The molding probably broke off after being stood on.

An inspection found the balcony was sound. But who knows, maybe the spirits in the building are restless?


Don Garza on November 21, 2009, at 05:14AM – #12

I also observed that the railing wasn't gone. It just baffles me that there was a faulty railing. Something else must have happened. The other question is what was the man doing on the fire escape in the first place. I am disturbed that a man died , but why would someone go out onto a fire escape to smoke when they can smoke in their room... No one should be going onto any of these fire escapes if there is no reason too....it baffles my mind... he was 87 years old...poor guy...


Guest 12

Fina on November 21, 2009, at 08:00AM – #13

What Russel wrote is false. He was on the street net to the side walk not in the second lane. He was right below my window. He was not covered up. The top of the railing had rusted. Only the top part broke off. I put flowers out there last night. I will do it again today. My respects to my late neighbor. I am so sorry sir. -fina


Eric Richardson () on November 21, 2009, at 09:44AM – #14

Fina is correct on the position of the body. He was right next to the piece of railing, which you can actually see blurred in the background of the photo above (the piece of railing, that is).

I don't think people need to struggle too long and hard over the idea of how something like a railing slipping could cause someone to fall. If you are leaning on something and it moves, it isn't hard to lose your balance. It doesn't need to be something structural giving way, just whatever you are gripping onto. That's even more the case when you are 87 and your reactions are slowed.

This incident brought back to mind the couple that I had mentioned doing a photo shoot on the fire escape of the Hotel Figueroa. It would have been far too easy for this woman to meet the same fate:

http://blogdowntown.com/2009/09/4708-a-precarious-spot-for-a-photo-shoot

Also, comment 7 mentions a deleted comment. It was deleted for using profanity against another commenter. That is not allowed, whatever your viewpoint.


Guest 13

plastik on November 21, 2009, at 10:38AM – #15

I heard the sound of this poor man hit the ground at 5:28am (give or take a few minutes) along with a soft yell. I jumped out of bed and looked out my window and saw this man laying halfway in the 1st and 2nd lane on spring and the little decorative piece of metal next to him diagonally. I called 911 and alerted the authorities. I am directly across the street from the incident.

The little piece of metal decoration gave away at some point while he was on that fire escape. Leaning over, leaning with back to the railing, standing on it, sitting on the ladder with his legs on the railing, climbing up the ladder to the next floor and lost his balance or possibly trying to grab the railing if he lost his balance while standing.

There are many possibilities and we will never know what exactly happened up on that fire escape, but force or weight was a factor to rip that metal piece off.

So accidental or intentional, rest in peace un-named 87yr old man.


Guest 14

Chuck on November 21, 2009, at 11:10AM – #16

Everybody that smokes has gone out to the fire escape to do it. It's not that odd. I live in another building, I don't like to smoke in my loft and step out to the fire escape often. Sometimes I just step out there to get some air. Rest in peace sir.


Guest 13

plastik on November 21, 2009, at 11:36AM – #17

Clarifications to the posts above:

Eric wrote: "Fina is correct on the position of the body. He was right next to the piece of railing, which you can actually see blurred in the background of the photo above (the piece of railing, that is)."

Incorrect. His shoulder lay at the far right end of the metal piece in your picture. The white line in the picture was at his lower rib cage. Making him over half into the 2nd lane on spring.


Guest 15

MJ on November 21, 2009, at 01:39PM – #18

Honestly and i'm not talking about this specific person, and I know everybody will hate what I have to say but I'm really tired seeing and hearing "may they rest in peace" and "how wonderful these people are". I'm really tired of these people taking their lives in front of the public. I mean, if you are going to be selfish enough to take your own life and not care about anyone else then please do it in the privacy of your own home or somewhere where there will not be any children or people watching you as you fly off buildings or whatever. I personally feel bad for the people that had to see the bodies, or saw these people jump off the buildings. A lot of people are really disturbed and will be for a long time. I think we should stop empowering these people to do this crap. My roomate is still disturbed from seeing the lady just like 2 WEEKS AGO jump off her building. I'm sorry this is less sympathetic but I'm tired of hearing all this ugliness. Peace.


Guest 3

Santa Muerte on November 21, 2009, at 02:21PM – #19

MJ, are you as passionate about video games that portray murder?


Don Garza on November 21, 2009, at 03:08PM – #20

my bad


Guest 16

Marina on November 21, 2009, at 03:21PM – #21

all i can remember from this is waking up to 2 loud thumps, i though it was just the city guys working on something and it fell but then i hear a womans voice screaming, "OMG, OMG, SOMEONE CALL 911, SMEONE CALL 911" i went over to the window 2 see a dead body close to the middle of the street... i went down stairs and i spoke to the security guard standing next to the lil market and he said that he jumped off and hit the light post and them his body bounced to the floor.... Ive never seen a dead body in my life.. i couldnt even look directly at him when i went down there... now i know what those 2 thumps where... i just cant seem to comprehend why the cops didnt cover the body sooner.. it was out in the open for like 2 hrs or so... i know a few ppl that live in the alex and go out for smokes to the fire escapes.. it was so unlucky for him to be the one 2 lean against the faulty one.. i highly doubt that he fell by accident... i hear no screams.. maybe it was a suicide...

RIP mister i hope you had an amazing life!


Guest 17

SAD on November 21, 2009, at 08:57PM – #22

Hello May this man rest in peace. This was very sad for all of us in downtown. May his spirit rest in a better place.



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