Authorities are investigating a gruesome fatality involving a teenager working at a restaurant.
17-year-old Ameri Zequir was taking out garbage from a Long Island, NY, Dunkin Donuts, when he fell into an uncovered manhole and died in the cesspool below.
His death wasn’t instant. Rescuers were able to talk to him as he struggled to stay afloat in the hole filled with 8 feet of sewage.
Zequir was pulled out but pronounced dead at a local hospital.
According to WCBS-TV, garbage bins were located behind some sawhorses with the open cesspool nearby.
Neighbors said the alley containing the open cesspool had been in disrepair for years.
Sources told WCBS that criminal charges hinge on how long the cesspool was open and who knew about the danger. The county district attorney is investigating.
Police say it’s possible the cesspool cover was dislodged during snow removal, but no one knows why it remained open.
Detectives have found half of the manhole cover and believe the other half may be at the bottom of the pit that Zeqir fell into.
