Trimmer Dies After Fall From Tree

A 45-year-old tree trimmer died Tuesday afternoon after he suffered electrical burns and fell from a tree, a coroner’s official said.

Mariano Cueva-Gonzales of Hawaiian Gardens was perched in a tree with a chain saw at St. Hedwig’s Church in the 11000 block of Los Alamitos Boulevard when he suddenly fell about 1:15 p.m., officials said.

Witnesses told coroner’s investigators that they saw electric arcs from power lines when Cueva-Gonzales fell, said deputy coroner Rick McAnally.

Paramedics took Cueva-Gonzales to Los Alamitos Medical Center, where he died about 1:50 p.m.

Cueva-Gonzales, who worked for Man of the Soil Landscaping in Los Alamitos, suffered electrical burns, but it was unclear whether he was killed by the electricity or the fall, McAnally said. A doctor will perform an autopsy today.