Local News in Brief : Burglar Dies From Effects of Fumigation
A man has died in a hospital after he stopped to watch television and eat a snack while burglarizing a Sepulveda home that was being fumigated, police said Sunday.
The man, who authorities have not been able to identify, was found writhing and partially clothed on the front lawn of a house in the 15400 block of West Labrador Street early Saturday morning, authorities said. He apparently entered a tarpaulin-covered house and removed a videocassette recorder, some liquor and other valuables. He returned to watch television and eat a snack.
The burglar, described as being in his late 20s, was inside the house from approximately 4 a.m. to 8:30 a.m., when he was overcome by the powerful pesticide, methyl bromide, police said. The man ran out of the house, tearing off his chemically saturated clothes in an attempt to escape the fumigant’s sting.
He was taken to Holy Cross Hospital in Mission Hills where he died at about 10:45 p.m.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
