Newport Man Found Dead Under Pile of Debris in His Home

A 59-year-old man was found dead in his home Wednesday, covered by a 3-foot pile of boxes and debris that appears to have toppled onto him several days ago.

James Allen’s house on the 500 block of El Modena Avenue was stuffed from floor to ceiling with belongings, including furniture, shelves and piles of trash, Fire Battalion Chief Don Jones said. Rescue crews had to shove portions of the stacks out windows to reach the victim, he said.

“Everything except his feet were covered,” Jones said. Investigators were unclear what caused the accident.

Officials were called to the house by a friend of Allen’s who hadn’t seen or heard from him in four or five days. Investigators called the house a “fire hazard” because only a small pathway had been cleared through the piles of debris. The front and back yards also were overgrown and filled with trash, Jones said.