Boy, 6, killed when refrigerator falls on him

A 6-year-old boy was killed when a refrigerator fell onto him from a pickup in Otay Mesa on Saturday afternoon, authorities said.

The death appeared to be accidental, but detectives from the San Diego Police Department’s child abuse unit were investigating, Officer Frank Cali said.

Police and paramedics were called about 12:20 p.m. to a residence on Beyer Way, south of Palm Avenue.

The boy’s father was moving the refrigerator either onto or off a pickup when it slipped and fell from the truck. It landed on the child, knocking him unconscious, San Diego Fire-Rescue Department Capt. Joe Amador said.

He said the boy was in his mother’s arms when firefighters arrived. Paramedics began CPR on the boy and immediately headed to a hospital, but he could not be revived.

Friends of the family told Fox 5 that the boy was a first-grader. His name was not released.

pauline.repard@sduniontribune.com

Repard writes for the San Diego Union-Tribune.

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UPDATES:

10:47 a.m.: This story was updated with friends describing boy.