Boy Playing in Elevator Shaft Falls to His Death

A 10-year-old boy, playing in an elevator shaft in his Koreatown apartment building, struck his head and fell to his death, police said Tuesday.

The body of Enrique Aguilar was found Monday night on the basement level of the building near 8th and Catalina streets, said Rampart Station Detective Andy Cicoria. The last time Enrique was seen alive, he was playing on the third floor landing with his 10-year-old cousin, Cicoria said. The cousin left and returned to find Enrique missing.

Cicoria said the youth had apparently inserted himself in a 10-inch gap between the elevator’s inner and outer doors, and became caught up when the elevator was activated. “He may have been hiding between the doors, like you would do if you were going to surprise someone,” Cicoria said, adding that the boy probably died when his head struck the first-floor door frame as the elevator pulled him upward.