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SoFi stadium tragedies

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SoFi Stadium is home to the Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams, and their little NFL brother, the Los Angeles Chargers. But they’re also home to haunted energy as many unfortunate tragic deaths have happened on the grounds. Since the stadium’s building, a number of people have met untimely and tragic deaths.

On July 6, a dead body was found in the man-made lake next to the stadium parking lot. The body of an unidentified 45-year-old man was recovered from the lake outside of SoFi Stadium after firefighter and dive teams responded to reports of a person jumping into the water. According to reports from the security guards on duty, the man was last seen around 6:13 a.m, entering the water and moving toward the middle of the lake. Stadium security called police shortly after the man entered the facility, and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Special Enforcement Bureau, and L.A. County firefighters were also called to the scene shortly afterward. Two security officers went to the lake where the man was spotted, but by that time the man was already in the water.

The man, who remains unidentified, had his body recovered by authorities at approximately 9:48 a.m.

Inglewood mayor James Butts said that the man had not been identified and that the stadium did not know why he was on the property or entered the water.

“Honestly, this is someone who made a conscious decision to trespass on the property, get into the lake, and he ended up having some distress and difficulty,” Butts said. “So I don’t think there’s anything that SoFi could have done to prevent this.”

In 2020, multiple deaths happened during the construction of the stadium. Subcontractor Juan Becerra, 37, of Brownsville, Texas, fell to his death on June 5, 2020, after he stepped on an unsupported area of the roof that was under construction. Later, construction worker Simon Fite, 32, of Compton, died on July 7, 2020. An autopsy report said Fite died from “cocaine intoxication” and heat exhaustion.

On Sept 25, 2020, two weeks after opening day, 25-year-old Sergio Rojo was found dead with a stab wound to his neck on the stadium grounds. An autopsy report said Rojo died in an accident from “sharp force injury.” According to the LA Times, two knives and a blade were found near his body, which was discovered underneath a trailer. Rojo was believed to be homeless.

On Dec. 16 of that year, construction worker Luis Escobar, 34, was fatally pinned by a metal beam in an accident involving a crane at the adjoining retail district that was under development, according to a California Division of Occupational Safety and Health spokesman.

The Rams hosted the New York Jets four days later.

Our Weekly coverage of local news in Los Angeles County is supported by the Ethnic Media Sustainability Initiative, a program created by California Black Media and Ethnic Media Services to support minority-owned-and-operated community newspapers across California.

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