Police: Teen Girl Dies After Falling From Fifth-Floor Lower Manhattan Fire Escape

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A teenage girl was killed after falling from a fifth-floor fire escape in TriBeCa on Sunday night.

Emergency responders were seen on video responding to the incident.

"I'm devastated because I used to live here. It's my community," former building resident Barbara Spitzer toild CBS2's Crystal Bui on Monday.

The fall happened on Reade Street, near the Chambers Street Station. Police said the victim, identified as 15-year-old Imogen Roche, was at a party at an apartment and climbed onto the fire escape trying to get through a window into a locked room where she had left her cellphone. That's when she fell from the fifth floor, landing on the sidewalk below.

"It's very sad. I mean she's 15 years old, so I don't know what happened at the party," said Files Sifuentes, who works across the street.

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Sources told CBS2 that alcohol was involved, but it's unknown whether the girl was intoxicated.

Residents said they know how dangerous the fire escape can be.

"My apartment had fire escapes. I was on the third floor. I never went out there. I would never go out there. Poor thing," Spitzer said.

Police said the victim is from the neighborhood. CBS2 reached out to the girl's family, but has not heard back.

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