A 54-year-old man who died when a wall collapsed during expansion work at a Long Beach women’s shelter was mourned by the city’s mayor.
The man was working on a trench wall at about 5:45 p.m. Tuesday, May 19, at the Long Beach Rescue Mission’s Lydia House shelter for women and children in the 1400 block of Pacific Avenue when the trench fell in, Long Beach police said.
Two others sustained minor injuries, police said.
Martin Rodriguez died of mechanical asphyxia beneath a pile of dirt and rubble, according to the Los Angeles County medical examiner’s office.
“I am heartbroken by the tragic accident at one of our partners’ shelter sites that claimed the life of a longtime worker and injured two others,” Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson posted on X, formerly Twitter.
“A man who showed up to work to make an honest living lost his life in a sudden and devastating accident,” the mayor said. “Our hearts are with his loved ones, his coworkers, the injured workers, and the entire Rescue Mission community as they process this unimaginable loss.”
Richardson said the investigation into the man’s death “is still in its early stages and many questions remain.”