An unidentified man in his 50s was found hanging from a tree near Whittier Narrows Recreation Area in the San Gabriel Valley yesterday morning, the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner confirmed with L.A. TACO. The man was pronounced dead at 6:45 AM in the 700 block of South Santa Anita Avenue in South El Monte. The coroner's office said that the deceased's identity is pending notification of next of kin.
At this time, it is believed that the man chose to end their life by suicide. Sarah Ardalani, public information officer for the coroner's office, told L.A. TACO, "It was reported as a suicide hanging from a tree in a park."
Several deaths have occurred at or near Whittier Narrows Park, a popular recreation area in the San Gabriel Valley, including at least two this year.
In June, someone died by apparent drowning in a lake in Whittier Narrows during the early morning hours. A manner of death for that case has not yet been determined as of this morning.
Earlier in the year, in January, KTLA reported that a pedestrian was "struck by a car in Whittier Narrows," killing them. Media reports show that there have been several traffic-related deaths and drownings in the past decade.