How did Cameron Perrelli die? Illegal construction work probed after 24-year-old falls 7 floors to her death
EAST VILLAGE, MANHATTAN: In the early hours of Saturday, May 22, 2021, Cameron Perrelli fell to her death down an airway between two buildings. Police say the 24-year-old finance worker lost her balance and fell down during a party on the deck of an apartment building on Avenue A near the corner of East 12th St. Even though she was rushed to the nearby Bellevue Hospital by first responders, she did not survive.
Perrelli's death is tragic, to say the least. Described as "prettiest angel on this earth" by her uncle, Perrelli was young, smart, educated, and 'living her dream'. So what caused her death? Was it an accident or a lapse in judgment? Here's what we know about the 24-year-old's untimely death.
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A new report carried by DailyMail sheds some light on the situation. It reveals how Perrelli's death might have been caused because of illegal construction in the area. The 24-year-old was partying on the rooftop of the Topanga Building at 202 Avenue A. As it turns out, several complaints were made about the building. After Perrelli's death, even elected officials are calling for a change after the accident.
Construction on the roof
As per one published report, New York City Department of Buildings records show dozens of complaints about the Topanga Building at 202 Avenue A. One of those complaints, from April, reported workers "installing a cinder block wall on the roof," according to records kept by the New York Department of Buildings. The records add that a city inspector wasn't able to access the building at the time of the complaint, and it wasn't clear at the time whether illegal construction work continued on the roof.
There's an approximately 4-foot gap between the Topanga building at 202 Avenue A and the neighboring building at 200 Avenue A. Police reportedly said that Perrelli fell down that airway. Pictures obtained by the publication show that the deck wall, near where police say Perrelli fell, had a sign that warned people to keep 10 feet from the edge.
Apparently, the building's owner, Highpoint Property Group, didn't return requests for comment from the publication and the police said the matter was still under investigation.
'Stop work' order
The report says that just five days before Perrelli fell to her death, officials inspected the building, and on Monday, May 17, 2021, issued a 'Stop Work' order, which forbade any additional construction on the apartment building. At the time, construction work was being done on the roof.
The city requires a 'Tenant Protection Plan' to be filed before any construction project. However, construction was ordered to be stopped on May 17 because the building's owner had reportedly not provided this plan.
These 'Tenant Protection Plans' are important as they ensure tenants are not harmed due to any dangerous conditions that inevitably crop up during construction. The plans ensure that barriers are set up, exits are still accessible, provisions are made for falling debris, and so on.
The New York Police Department reportedly said Perrelli might have been trying to jump to the next building when she fell down the airshaft between the 202 building and its neighbor. The investigations, however, still continue probing the circumstances of her death.
Packed late-night parties
Apparently, late-night parties have been quite the norm of late. As per the report, officials say the area has hosted weekly late-night parties with a "large numbers of people that far exceeded safe occupancy levels".
New York Councilwoman Carlina Rivera has reportedly said that the East Village area (near where Perrelli died) has been "plagued" by dangerous late-night parties where daring revelers would jump from one rooftop to the other. It's unclear if Perrelli was jumping to the next building, but police gave that as an initial possibility. Cameron's uncle Michael Perrelli reportedly told the New York Daily News they [the family] has heard three different accounts of how she died.
"That she was jumping from one building to the next, and we heard that she was walking on an air-conditioning vent, and then somebody just said she slipped."
Officials call for change
Rivera had apparently heard reports that the party on early Saturday morning, on May 22, had been "dangerously overcrowded." The councilwoman is now reportedly working on two pieces of legislation to make city buildings safer. "This tragedy shows just how dangerous overcrowded or mismanaged rooftop parties have become, and how often they have little to no safety protections or monitoring," Rivera told ABC7 New York.
One would reportedly require tenants to comply with city noise codes and the other bill would enforce stricter oversight of rooftop use and capacity.
Manhattan Borough President Gale A Brewer gave his support to the new bills, reportedly saying, "The tragic death of a woman who fell from a roof during a party in the East Village on Saturday is a painful reminder that City Hall and property managers are failing to step up when it comes to rooftop parties."
At the moment, it is unclear what exactly caused Perrelli's death. As per the report, NYPD is still seeking to clarify which version among the different explanations for Perrelli's death is correct and whether any criminal charges will be filed. In a statement, NYPD spokesman Edward Riley said the "investigation remains ongoing."
The owner of the Topanga building at 202 Avenue A, Highpoint Property Group, purchased it in 2017 for $6.75 million, according to the EV Grieve East Village Blog but there is no response from the group, till now, about its rooftop safety policies. According to popular property sales and rentals site StreetEasy, "buildings must meet the code requirements of the New York City Department of Buildings and the Fire Department before roof access can be obtained". The report reveals that the Department of Buildings began a crackdown in 2017 on illegal roof access.