Chris Burrous, a Los Angeles news anchor known for his witty banter and “Burrous’ Bites” food segments died Thursday, KTLA-TV reported. He was 43 years old.
The station did not initially release a cause of death for the longtime employee.
However, police in the Los Angeles suburb of Glendale issued a press release saying Burrous suffered a medical emergency, due to a possible drug overdose, at a motel in the city and was taken to an area hospital and pronounced deceased.
Police said they received a call at 1:14 p.m. from a male at a Days Inn reporting the individual he was with had passed out and was possibly not breathing. Officers later identified the deceased man as Burrous.
“The original call to the Glendale Police Department indicated the deceased had possibly overdosed,” the police department said in a press release. “Glendale detectives are currently investigating the case and are thoroughly examining the unfortunate circumstances surrounding his death.”
Related: Journalists React to KTLA Anchor Chris Burrous’ Death at Age 43
KTLA management issued a statement calling Burrous a “great journalist and a wonderful friend.”
“Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Burrous family. Chris loved sharing the stories of Southern California and connecting with our viewers. He will be remembered as a great journalist and a wonderful friend to many. He brought a kindness to his work and will be deeply missed by the entire KTLA family,” KTLA President and General Manager Don Corsini and News Director Jason Ball said in a joint statement.
Burrous anchored the KTLA 5 Morning News on weekends, and presented his popular “Burrous’ Bites” segments where he met up with viewers at their favorite mom-and-pop restaurants.
The segments were a favorite with fans, who enjoyed watching Burrous try out different types of food in neighborhoods around Southern California.
During the week, he reported and was often live on the scene of breaking news.
Christopher Rocky Burrous was born in Santa Clara County, California, south of San Francisco, in 1975.
He worked in radio while studying at Chapman University in Orange, California, and graduated with a degree in broadcast journalism.
The news anchor joined KTLA in 2011, after working as a reporter and anchor at several TV local TV stations in California and New York, including KGET in Bakersfield, KGPE in Fresno, KMAX in Sacramento, KEVN-LD in Rapid City, South Dakota, and KTLA sister station WPIX in New York City.
Burrous is survived by his wife, Mai Do-Burrous, and their nine-year-old daughter Isabella.
Funeral details will be announced later.
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