A construction worker from San Bernardino died Wednesday after a cinder block wall collapsed on workers in Pacoima was identified as 49-year-old Javier Calderón.
The Los Angeles Fire Department worked “feverishly” for 45 minutes working to free Calderón, reported LAFD Battalion Chief Rick Crawford, but their efforts failed. Calderón’s family plans to pursue legal action against the construction company.
“I think that it could have been prevented,” said Monica Calderón, his daughter, who is grieving the loss.
The wall had collapsed before in 2017 and 2019, said Will Cortes, who lives nearby.
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Calderón had been a construction worker for 30 years. His five children and three grandchildren remember him as a funny and loving husband and father who was preparing for his 50th birthday.
The incident is under current investigation by the LA Police Department and Cal-OSHA, who will determine if the company violated any workplace safety regulations and if the accident could have been prevented.
