Northridge Mall worker electrocuted, dies
A maintenance worker died Monday at the abandoned Northridge Mall when he stuck his hand in a high-voltage transformer, according to the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner’s Office.
Victoriano M. Diaz, 37, was leaving the mall Monday evening after working to weld the mall doors with three friends, according to a medical examiner’s report. He noticed a door to an electrical box was open and he put his hand inside the box.
Diaz was electrocuted and thrown backward into a brick wall, according to the report. Diaz told the friends, “Don’t touch me” and stopped breathing. The friends waited about 15 minutes before calling 911.
Diaz was hired by property owners U.S. Black Spruce Enterprise Group Inc. to clean Northridge Mall, according to the report. He had been working with his three friends for the past year on the grounds.
He may have touched a metal hook inside the box, which carried 4,800 volts and was not grounded, according to the report. When a mechanical arm touches the hook, it becomes energized and is used to power the mall.
Paramedics tried to revive Diaz but did not succeed. He had burn marks on his right hand, according to the medical examiner.
“Black Spruce is aware of the tragic circumstances which occurred outside Northridge Mall on Monday evening. We are sorry for the family’s loss and will fully cooperate with authorities,” Black Spruce said in a statement about Diaz’s death.
Diaz’s death comes amid a fight over whether to demolish the abandoned Northridge, which has become a site for frequent break-ins and vandalism.
The city Department of Neighborhood Services issued a raze order April 11 contending the 900,000square-foot building is dilapidated and a threat to safety. Black Spruce, a Chinese investors group, said last week it will file an appeal to delay the raze order.
People illegally entering the property are putting themselves at risk, city officials say. And the building’s state also raises concerns about asbestos exposure and other environmental issues.
Attorneys for Black Spruce have said the company disagrees with the city’s conclusion that the property should be razed. The company has worked to make improvements on the site, the attorneys said, including hiring private security and maintenance workers.
Some people who have broken into the mall have removed items to sell for scrap. The medical examiner’s report indicated the electrical box Diaz touched had been previously targeted for its copper wires.