Woman who plunged to her death climbing between NYC rooftops identified
The woman who plunged to her death trying to climb between rooftops during a birthday party in the East Village has been identified as 24-year-old Cameron Perrelli — with her heartbroken family describing her as a “true angel” who wanted to “be and do the best she could in everything.”
Perrelli was trying to climb between 200 and 202 Avenue A around 3:30 a.m. Saturday when she fell, authorities said.
Police sources said Perrelli, who resided in the Lower East Side, was at a friend’s birthday party and had been drinking.
No criminality is suspected.
“Sad day today I lost a piece of my heart my beautiful niece was taken by god to heaven she was so beautiful in mind body and soul,” her uncle Michael Perrelli posted in a Facebook tribute. “It is so hard to understand gods reason for taking Cameron she had so much to offer the world.”
“How do we except [sic] her loss with out anger I would give my life to give her life back,” he wrote. “I know Cameron would want all of us to stay strong because her determination in life was to be and do the best she could in everything.”
Another uncle, Steve Perrelli, said the family has “lost a true angel.”
“I am lost without you in my life,” he wrote. “You’ve always made me proud of your accomplishments, RIP my princess!! I will miss you more than you know!!”
Meanwhile, city elected officials say the incident is the latest in a string of weekly gatherings on East Village rooftops that far exceed safe occupancy capacities.
Councilmember Carlina Rivera is working on two bills centered around that issue, according to ABC 7.
“We are all thinking about the family of the young person who lost their life on Saturday morning,” Rivera said in a statement issued to the station.
“This tragedy shows just how dangerous overcrowded or mismanaged rooftop parties have become, and how often they have little to no safety protections or monitoring.”
“We will continue to pursue my legislation to ensure agency responses so that these deadly situations do not happen again,” she added.
“But landlords are ultimately responsible for ensuring outdoor spaces are legally and safely accessible, and are not used improperly. If you make the decision to buy a building, you are responsible for the lives of its residents. And these landlords are not living up to that responsibility.”
“The tragic death of a woman who fell from a roof during a party in the East Village on Saturday is a painful reminder that City Hall and property managers are failing to step up when it comes to rooftop parties,” Manhattan Borough President Gale A. Brewer said.
“As New York City begins to emerge from the pandemic and people start to gather again, I join my colleague Council Member Carlina Rivera in demanding a Council hearing and a City Hall review of building code enforcement procedures on this issue.”
