Drinking suspected in teen’s fatal fall

Investigators suspect that a teenager’s fatal fall from a Laguna Beach hotel balcony was an accident and that alcohol likely played a role, police said Monday.

Marcus Cole, 19, of Irvine, fell from the second floor at about 11:15 p.m. Saturday at Vacation Village, Sgt. Darin Lenyi said. He died the next day at Mission Hospital, Lenyi added.

Orange County coroner’s officials are conducting toxicology tests to determine if he had drugs or alcohol in his system.

Friends saw Cole holding onto the railing of the balcony on the ocean side of the motel and jumping just before he fell, Lenyi said.

Cole landed on Sleepy Hollow Lane, police said.

“He was clowning around on the balcony, jumping up and down when he fell,” Lenyi said. Two others were on the balcony at the time.

“We don’t suspect foul play, but believe that alcohol [consumption] played a role,” Lenyi said.

“All indications are it was a tragic accident,” he added.

An Irvine woman, who is about 18 or 19 years old, rented the hotel room, Lenyi said. About five other youths, none over 21, were staying in the room, Lenyi said.

The hotel room was littered with beer bottles, and one woman was passed out on a bed when police arrived, he said.

“We don’t believe they got the alcohol from the hotel, and [officers] will be conducting an investigation into how they obtained the alcohol,” Lenyi said.

Friends of the victim said they obtained one 30-count beer container from an unknown adult earlier in the evening from a market not in Laguna Beach, police said.

Coincidentally, Laguna Beach police were conducting a “decoy” operation that night with Alcoholic Beverage Control. Two arrests were made in local establishments for allegedly furnishing alcohol to minors.