(L.A.) David Tzaput Tzep, 23, Died in a Yard

Case Number: 2019-04994

Los Angeles County is reporting the death of a 23-year-old Hispanic male that occurred in a yard.

The coroner’s office has identified the man as David Tzaput Tzep of Montebello, California.

Manner of Death: Accident

Cause of Death: Mechanical Asphyxia

RIP DAVID TZAPUT TZEP (June 20, 1996 – July 3, 2019)

The decedent was a sewer repair worker who was killed when a trench collapsed in Encino.

It happened on a Wednesday when a trench collapsed at about 6:25 p.m. at 5055 Louise Ave., near Ventura Boulevard.

The worker descended into the trench to do work on an underground sewer line when a catastrophic failure of the trench occurred. The trench was between 10 and 20 feet deep. An Urban Search and Rescue Team responded to the scene and shored up the trench before recovering the body.

The decedent’s name appears to be Latin American / Central American / Guatemalan.