ROSARITO, Baja California (Border Report) — Elliot Blair, an Orange County public defender died early on Saturday after falling from a hotel balcony near Rosarito, Baja California, a beach town about 30 miles south of the border.
Police in Rosarito say Blair had been drinking and somehow lost his balance before falling from a third-story balcony.
They say upon arrival, after getting a 911 call from the hotel, they found Blair face down and unresponsive.
According to Blair’s family, he and his wife were celebrating their first wedding anniversary in Mexico.
The family’s attorney, David Scarsone, told the Orange County Register he is skeptical of the investigation conducted by Mexican authorities.
Scarsone says he will conduct his own inquiry as the family believes foul play was involved.
Annie Rodriguez, a friend of Blair’s, has set up a GoFundMe page to help transport his body from Mexico to the United States and to help Blair’s widow, Kim Williams.
“Elliot was a compassionate lawyer who dedicated his life to serving indigent clients,” the GoFundMe page says. “Elliot was known as a patient and caring advocate. He was the best of us and was loved by countless members of our office and the Orange County legal community. We are heartbroken.”
Baja California’s Attorney General’s Office says for now their evidence points to Blair accidentally falling from his hotel’s balcony calling it “an unfortunate accident.”