Student Dies After Prom Night Fall

An 18-year-old high school student celebrating prom night fell from the rooftop of a Catalina Island hotel early Sunday and died hours later of massive head injuries, authorities said.

David Ramirez Jr. and a fellow Avalon High School student were walking down the sloped roof to return to the inside of the Glenmore Hotel about 2:30 a.m. when Ramirez lost his balance and fell four stories, said Los Angeles County sheriff’s Deputy Bruce Thomas.

The students had gone to the roof to smoke, apparently accessing the roof by pushing themselves up from a balcony, Thomas said. Ramirez, 18, was airlifted to St. Mary Medical Center in Long Beach, where he died at 3 p.m., Thomas said.