78-year-old Whittier man found dead at base of ladder

WHITTIER — Officials are investigating after a 78-year-old man was found unconscious and pronounced dead Wednesday at the base of a ladder in his front yard in an unincorporated county area just northwest of Whittier, authorities said.
The name of the man was to be released through the Los Angeles County Department of Coroner pending positive identification and notification of his family, officials said.
Coroner officials will also perform an autopsy to determine whether the man died as a result of a fall from the ladder, or merely succumbed to a medical issue, Los Angeles County sheriff’s Lt. Robert Smith said.
A nearby resident called for help after he spotted his elderly neighbor lying unconscious at the base of a ladder, which was erected next to a tree, Smith said.
The man had apparently been working on his home, which was damaged in a fire several months earlier, the lieutenant said.
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