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Construction worker falls to her death from Florida condo

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Posted at 8:46 AM, May 30, 2022
and last updated 2022-05-30 08:46:31-04

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — A 23-year-old construction worker fell to her death from a 13-floor balcony of a condominium complex in West Palm Beach, police said.

Delores Yamilety Martinez-Ponce was working Saturday morning at the La Clara condominium construction site when she fell, police spokesman Mike Jachles told news outlets.

While officials don't yet know exactly what happened, Jachles said Martinez-Ponce worked for a flooring company and was installing flooring when she fell just before 9 a.m. Saturday.

"For reasons we don't know, she apparently fell off of that balcony," Jachles said. She fell to the second floor and died at the scene, he said.

In a news release, police said Martinez-Ponce lived in Miami-Dade County and worked for Jovavesa Corp., which is a subcontractor on the building project.

The police department's homicide unit is investigating the death, he said.

The Federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration is also expected to review the death.

The site was home to the 1515 Tower condo for decades before a controlled implosion brought the building down in 2010, the Palm Beach Post reported.

Construction began on the 25-story La Clara condominiums in 2019, with completion expected by spring 2023, the newspaper reported.