Foul play is not suspected in the fatal fall that killed a man at the Santa Maria Town Center mall on Saturday, Santa Maria police said Wednesday.
Officers were dispatched at 5:15 p.m. Saturday to a report of a male fall victim who landed on the road between the mall and the three-story parking structure.
The man was identified as Shepherd Saenz, 42, of Santa Maria.
Sgt. Paul Flores said police do not suspect foul play, but the cause and manner of death are awaiting the confirmation from the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department Coroner’s Unit.
Since foul play is not suspected, Sheriff’s Department authorities will determine if the fall was accidental or suicide, Flores said.
The public location of death on a busy Saturday night draw a crowd of spectators who stood on the second-story of the parking garage to watch police investigate the incident.
Funeral arrangements for Saenz are pending and under the direction of Lori Family Mortuary in Santa Maria.
Family members have started two GoFundMe pages, with one here and the other here, to collect money for burial expenses
Click here to learn about suicide prevention resources available 24 hours a day in Santa Barbara County.
— Noozhawk North County editor Janene Scully can be reached at jscully@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.