A 19-year-old custodian at a California burrito factory died after falling into a meat grinder Sunday night.
The unidentified victim was working at Tina’s Burritos five miles south of downtown Los Angeles around 9:30 p.m., according to southern California outlet KTLA.
The circumstances leading to the apparent mishap in Vernon Calif. weren’t immediately clear. Inspectors planned to investigate the matter Monday. KABC said authorities don’t suspect foul play. Police reportedly believe the victim was cleaning the machine when it unexpectedly began running.
Factory workers heard screams, but couldn’t save their colleague. He was reportedly dead when Los Angeles County Fire Department rescue workers arrived.
The department confirmed it dispatched first responders at 9:24 p.m. and they arrived on the scene three minutes later. The Vernon Police Department couldn’t immediately be reached for comment.
Employees seated outside the factory appeared to have been rattled by the apparent industrial mishap, according to KABC.
A Pennsylvania company was fined nearly $50,000 after one of its workers died in a meat grinder in 2019. Firefighters needed 45 minutes to remove that victim’s remains from the machine.
