Who was Noah Legaspi? New Jersey teen jumps to his death from roof of NYC's Mandarin Oriental Hotel
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: The young boy who tragically jumped from the roof of a hotel in Midtown New York City has been identified as Noah Legaspi, a 17-year-old aspiring fashion designer from New Jersey.
He was a soon-to-be senior at Colonia High School in Colonia and loved playing volleyball.
Noah Legaspi jumped off a building after breaking up wih his GF
The heart-wrenching incident occurred on Thursday, August 17, at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Columbus Circle, where Noah Legaspi jumped from the roof, resulting in a fatal fall of 750 feet.
Reports suggest that he had just gone through a breakup with his girlfriend on the night of the tragic event. Noah Legaspi had a Facetime conversation with his ex-girlfriend just before he jumped to his death, his family informed the NY Post.
"They broke it off and he just was never good at handling his emotions so post-breakup I guess he just wasn't able to control his thoughts and feelings," said his older brother, Luis Legaspi.
"She received an eerie Facetime call from him from the top of the hotel looking over and they had a Facetime call and he said 'look at this pretty view' and 'I love you,'" Luis added.
Legaspi's ex-girlfriend received a surprise Facetime call from him and alerted his mother, mentioning that the call seemed to come from a tall building, although she wasn't sure where exactly.
The family grew worried when they didn't hear from Legaspi after dropping him off at his girlfriend's place in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, leading them to report him as missing.
On Monday night, August 21, the New York Police Department confirmed the man who entered the Deutsche Bank Center before the unfortunate incident was indeed Legaspi.
He had no identification on him, which is why his identity remained unknown, as stated by the police.
According to the NYPD, their investigation suggests that Legaspi gained access to the Deutsche Bank Center by using a service elevator, exiting on the 21st floor of the hotel tower.
Video footage from security cameras captured the moment Legaspi entered the building.
"He is seen on video walking into the hotel, then takes the elevator to the top, makes his way to the roof and jumps from the roof," said NYPD spokesman Lt Thomas Antonetti.
Noah Legaspi grappled with mental health challenges
Noah Legaspi's brother said he struggled with mental health. "He had a lot of demons and insecurities, and that took over and won, unfortunately," he told the New York Daily News.
"It is a mental health thing," he added. "Even though he had all that pain inside of him, he always managed to make someone smile." His brother mentioned that Legaspi had not pursued therapy or taken any medication to address his mental health concerns.
Noah Legaspi GoFundMe
A GoFundMe was started for Legaspi's family, and it has successfully raised over $19,000, inching close to its $20,000 target as of Wednesday night, August 23.
"We have had the pleasure of knowing and growing up with our favorite guy, Noah. Noah was always someone who made everyone laugh and bring a smile to their face," the GoFundMe read.
"We have started a GoFundMe page to help the Legaspi Family with the arrangements for services to honor and celebrate Noah. Any and all donations are welcome. Even a little goes a long way. Thank you all for your support, kind words and prayers during these tough times."
