A woman who recently began a career at a New York City investment firm fell to her death during a rooftop party in the East Village, authorities announced Sunday.
Twenty-four-year-old Cameron Perrelli was at an event on the roof of a building on Avenue A near E. 12th Street Saturday at about 3:00 a.m. when she lost her footing near a ledge and fell, police told the New York Daily News.
Medics transported her to Bellevue Hospital but her life could not be saved.
“Police believe Perrelli was attending a birthday party at 202 Avenue A, and tried to cross over to the roof of an adjacent building, 200 Avenue A, when she fell down an airway between the two,” the News article read.
The young woman’s death devastated her family who is looking for answers regarding the incident.
“It’s not like her to be a risk-taker. She’s not one to take those risks. I don’t get it,” her father, Louis Perrelli, commented, adding he was disturbed about reports of rooftop parties in the area.
Her uncle, Michael Perrelli, told reporters the family did not have a lot of information.
“We got three stories — that she was jumping from one building to the next, and we heard that she was walking on an air-condition vent, and then somebody just said she slipped. Don’t they have a fence on top of the building? They allow parties?” he questioned.
Michael Perrelli explained his niece was usually cautious and did not drink to excess.
Now, elected officials in Manhattan are calling for something to be done. NYC Councilmember Carlina Rivera is working on a pair of bills to address the problem, according to ABC 7:
“We are all thinking about the family of the young person who lost their life on Saturday morning. 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 said.
“We will continue to pursue my legislation to ensure agency responses so that these deadly situations do not happen again. But landlords are ultimately responsible for ensuring outdoor spaces are legally and safely accessible, and are not used improperly. If you make the decision to buy a building, you are responsible for the lives of its residents. And these landlords are not living up to that responsibility.”
Perrelli did not live at either of the buildings but was a Lower East Side resident, the New York Post reported, adding no criminality was suspected regarding the incident.