Los Angeles Morning News Anchor Chris Burrous' Cause of Death Revealed
KTLA 5 morning news anchor Chris Burrous‘ cause of death has been revealed.
Burrous “was found to have died from methamphetamine toxicity,” according to a release from the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner on Friday.
“Other contributing factors include hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease,” the release states.
His death has been determined as an accident.
Two days after Christmas, Burrous was found unresponsive on Dec. 27 at a Days Inn hotel in Glendale. After authorities were called, he was taken to the hospital and pronounced dead at 2:06 p.m. He was 43.
According to the Glendale police news release obtained by PEOPLE, the department received a call from a male friend who was with Burrous advising that the anchor was “passed out and was possibly not breathing” from a potential overdose. Though the fire department responded to the scene and paramedics administered CPR, Burrous was pronounced dead at the hospital.
“What we know at this point is that the call came in as a medical emergency, and that’s how it was handled,” Glendale Police Sgt. Dan Suttles said in a news briefing.
One day later, the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner confirmed an autopsy was performed on Dec. 28 and a cause of death was deferred pending further investigation.
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Burrous, who joined the KTLA team in 2011, became a viewer favorite: he helped expand the morning news to seven days a week by anchoring on weekends, and also had his own segment “Burrous’ Bites,” where he highlighted Southern California’s best hole-in-the-wall eateries.
He is survived by his wife of 15 years, Mai Do-Burrous, and their 9-year-old daughter, Isabella.
“Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Burrous family. Chris loved sharing the stories of Southern California and connecting with our viewers,” said KTLA president Don Corsini and news director Jason Ball in a joint statement.
“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.”
If you or someone you know is in need of help, please contact the SAMHSA substance abuse helpline at 1-800-662-HELP.
