In a tragic turn of events, a young woman lost her life after jumping from the rooftop of a Times Square hotel in New York City.
On Tuesday, May 2, 20-year-old Dezirae Andersen‘s life came to a sudden end after a heated argument with her boyfriend, Tyler Griffen, 24.
The couple, hailing from Littleton, Colorado, were staying at the OYO Times Square hotel on West 47th Street. A violent confrontation erupted between them, resulting in damages to their hotel room. During the altercation, Griffen repeatedly struck Andersen, leaving her visibly injured. The dispute continued in the hallway, where Griffen is accused of pulling the arm of their eight-month-old daughter, causing the child to fall down a flight of stairs. Fortunately, a hotel guest caught the baby, who was later taken to the hospital for evaluation.
Overcome with distress, Andersen ran to the hotel’s roof and jumped off. Tragically, she struck the second-floor scaffolding and was pronounced dead at the scene. Police discovered Griffen in the hotel lobby, exhibiting erratic behavior. They tasered him to restrain and arrest him before transporting him to Bellevue Hospital for a psychiatric evaluation.
Griffen now faces multiple charges in connection with the incident, including assault, reckless endangerment, and acting in a manner injurious to a child. While investigators do not believe he pushed Andersen from the rooftop, his intentions regarding their daughter remain unclear. The baby girl is expected to be taken into custody by the Administration for Children’s Services.
New York City has witnessed several incidents involving people jumping from buildings this year. In January, 46-year-old investment banker Dale Cheney died after falling from the rooftop of Bar 54 at the Hyatt Centric Times Square New York, a luxury hotel near West 45th St. and 7th Ave. Cheney’s death occurred just two days after filing for divorce from his wife, who had secured a restraining order against him following a domestic dispute on January 16.
Last week, a 27-year-old man took his own life by jumping from a New York City Housing Authority building in Queens. On May 4, a senior software engineer ended his life by leaping from the 14th floor of Google’s Manhattan headquarters in Chelsea, NYC.
