The parents of a young woman whose body was found in a water tank on the roof of a downtown Los Angeles hotel in February are suing the establishment’s owners.
David and Yinna Lam, father and mother of Elisa Lam, filed the wrongful death suit Thursday in Los Angeles Superior Court against Cecil Hotel Management Inc. They are seeking unspecified damages as well as compensation for the burial costs of their daughter.
The Cecil Hotel operators had an obligation to make the premises safe for Lam and “inspect and seek out hazards in the hotel that presented an unreasonable risk of danger to (Lam) and other hotel guests,” the suit states.
The hotel staff did not immediately return an email seeking comment.
The 21-year-old's body was discovered in one of four 4-foot-by-8-foot tanks on the roof Feb. 19 during an inspection after reports of water pressure problems at the 15-story hotel (map).
Lam's death was was ruled accidental due to drowning, according to the Los Angeles County coroner. The report also listed "bipolar disorder" under other significant conditions.
Lam, of Vancouver, was staying at the hotel on Main Street on LA's Skid Row when she was reported missing. Her parents called police after they had not heard from her for a few days.
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NBCLA Wire Services contributed to this story.
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