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Worker Commits Suicide at Costa Mesa City Hall Amid Layoffs
A 29-year-old maintenance worker for the City of Costa Mesa jumped to his death from the roof of the five-story City Hall building this afternoon, according to police. The man, a city employee for four-and-a-half years, was called into work at 2:30 p.m. to receive his layoff notice despite being at home nursing a broken ankle, according to the OC Register.
Police taped off a large portion of the parking lot next to City Hall as tensions flared amid the grief.
Peter Naghavi, director of public works, was seen crying and consoling other city employees.
Nick Berardino, general manager of the Orange County Employees Association, was seen cursing out city CEO Tom Hatch in the lobby of City Hall.
"You cannot give out notices wholesale like that in this economy," Beradino said. "That's what's going to happen." -- OC Register
The City of Costa Mesa voted earlier this month to outsource the jobs of nearly half of its workforce in an effort to plug up a $15 million budget deficit, according to the AP. More than 200 city employees were to be laid off Thursday, L.A. Now blogged this morning.
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