Death of man who fell off downtown L.A. skyscraper being investigated as suicide

(KTLA)
(KTLA)
(KTLA)

Authorities have identified the 36-year-old man who fell 53 stories to his death off of the Wilshire Grand Tower in downtown Los Angeles. The electrician, from Palmdale, was on his second day on the job.

Joseph Sabbatino fell from the building onto a moving car just after 12:30 p.m. on Thursday. A spokesman for the Los Angeles County Coroner’s office told the LA Daily News that the death is being investigated as a suicide.

Turner Construction, which is overseeing the site, released a statement stating that the Sabbatino’s death was not work related. “We have confirmed with Cal/OSHA and LAPD that the incident which occurred at the Wilshire Grand project site was not work-related,”  The company stated.  “After an initial on-site investigation, Cal/OSHA has confirmed that no fall-protection violations were observed.”

A spokeswoman for Turner stated that all workers are required to wear safety harnesses, and all barriers were in place.  They also said that the Sabbatino was not supposed to be doing any work above the 3rd floor.

The woman driving the vehicle Sabbatino landed on was shaken up, but not injured.

Construction on the building was halted on Friday  “to honor our workforce and out of respect,”  Turner Construction said in the statement.  Counselors were also being made available to help workers cope.

If someone you know exhibits warning signs of suicide: do not leave the person alone, remove any items that may cause them harm such as firearms, alcohol, drugs or sharp objects, and immediately call the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255) or take the person to an emergency room or seek help from a medical or mental health professional.