Local News in Brief : Off-Duty Usher Dies in Fall at Theater

An off-duty usher exploring old rooms at the Egyptian Theater in Hollywood fell 40 feet to his death when a section of ceiling caved in, Los Angeles police said.

Erick Pineda, 22, of Los Angeles had gone to the auditorium to get passes to other theaters, Detective Glen Day said.

Apparently Pineda and a friend decided to explore the rooms leading up to the theater’s roof so they could view the auditorium’s ornate ceiling, Day said.

Most of the room’s floors are concrete, but Pineda apparently stepped on a section consisting only of acoustic tiles and fell to the building’s main theater, police said.