KTLA anchor Chris Burrous dies after being found unconscious in motel room

Glendale, Calif. – KTLA weekend anchor Chris Burrous was found unconscious in a motel room in Glendale Thursday afternoon and later pronounced dead at an area hospital. CBS Los Angeles reports that police received a call about 1:15 p.m. from a man who said a man he was with at the Days Inn, located at 450 Pioneer Drive, had passed out and was possibly not breathing, according to Sgt. Dan Suttles of the Glendale Police Department.

Glendale firefighters responded to the scene and found Burrous, 43, inside a room and not breathing, Suttles said. CPR was administered and he was taken to a hospital where he died.

The original call to police stated Burrous may have overdosed, but detectives will await the Los Angeles County coroner's office report for a determination of the cause of death, Suttles said.

"Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Burrous family," KTLA President and General Manager Don Corsini and news director Jason Ball said in a joint statement Thursday night.

"Chris loved sharing the stories of Southern California and connecting with our viewers. He will be remembered as a great journalist and a wonderful friend to many. He brought a kindness to his work and will be deeply missed by the entire KTLA family."

Police also made a statement following the announcement, using sensitivity while explaining the circumstances of the case.

"That was something that we recognized right away, because, you know, everybody knows Chris. So we knew that this was gonna be something that was gonna be a very sensitive matter," Glendale police Sgt. Dan Suttles said. "We're waiting for a toxicology report to come back from the coroner's office. Until we get that we won't be able to tell what the cause of death was. It is being investigated as a possible overdose.

Authorities did not release details about what paraphernalia was found inside the motel room, nor did they elaborate on the relationship of the man who was with Burrous when he was found.

Burrous joined KTLA in 2011.

He is survived by his wife, Mai Do-Burrous, and 9-year-old daughter, Isabella.

Burrous' colleagues at KTLA reacted to the news on social media.

In:
• Los Angeles