A child has died after falling from an upper floor of a 14-story apartment complex in Alexandria, Virginia, on Wednesday, authorities said.
The child fell from the Arrive Alexandria building in the 200 block of Yoakum Parkway, on the city’s west end near I-395 and Duke Street.
Firefighters were called to the building at about 1:55 p.m. and arrived within five minutes, the department said.
The child was a 3-year-old boy, police said.
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“It was so devastating,” one resident said. He said he saw a woman crying in the lobby.
Witnesses said the child fell through a window and landed on a neighbor’s patio 12 stories below.
Caution tape could be seen around the edge of the building hours after the child fell, as police spoke with witnesses to try to determine what happened.
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It wasn’t immediately clear why the child fell. Alexandria police said a death investigation is underway.
Until police figure out what led to the boy's fall, the tragedy serves as a painful reminder to keep an eye on small children, Alexandria's police chief said.
Anyone with potentially relevant information is asked to contact police.
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Stay with NBC Washington for more details on this developing story.
