Police investigating after dead body found along Los Angeles River
Police investigating after dead body found along Los Angeles River
October 30th, 2012by Associated Press in Local – Breaking News
Authorities are investigating the suspicious death of a man found floating near the Los Angeles River Tuesday afternoon.
The body of 55-year-old Ronald J. Kortchmar of Santa Monica was discovered by a passer-by along the 3200 block of South Figueroa Street just after 2 p.m., according to the Santa Monica Police Department.
“We don’t have anything that gives us a reason as to why or how he came to be there,” Santa Monica Police Officer John M. Kelly said.
The man’s body was floating in the river in the middle of a traffic island.
The man had been dead for about an hour, police said.
The cause of death was not immediately available.
A preliminary autopsy on Kortchmar is expected to be conducted Wednesday morning.
Kelly said initial evidence suggests the man was already dead when he fell in the water.
The man’s body was taken to the San Fernando Valley Medical Center for analysis, police said.
Kortchmar’s mother, Linda Kortchmar, called the death a “tragic accident” and said the man had been doing yard work on his own property.
The Santa Monica Police Department issued an alert Tuesday night to warn of the safety concern to residents along the street.
“This is a very dangerous situation,” said Kelly. “We don’t know what this is going to do to the property, or the people in the neighborhood.”
Santa Monica Police Lt. Brian R. Wozniak said Kortchmar’s family had no history of foul play and has not filed a report with police.
“It’s a very tragic accident. It’s certainly a terrible, terrible loss for this neighborhood, but the investigation continues today to determine the cause of this tragic accident,” he said.
Wozniak said the discovery of the body was “a very sobering event for the department. A very sobering, tragic event for the neighborhood and for those who know what a very high-risk lifestyle, a very high-risk environment this neighborhood is.”
“We have an obligation to follow the protocol, but also to keep everybody’s
