SAN PABLO, Calif. _ The death of a man scheduled to testify as a witness in the trial of two people accused of involuntary manslaughter in the deaths of 36 people at an Oakland warehouse fire in 2016 does not appear to have been caused by foul play, authorities said Tuesday.
Authorities have not identified the man, who they said died Sunday after collapsing in the parking lot of the San Pablo Lytton Casino around 2:40 p.m. He was a witness in the trial for Derick Almena and Max Harris, each of whom were charged in the fire at the art collective warehouse known as the Ghost Ship.
The blaze ripped through the warehouse on Dec. 2, 2016.
The Alameda County District Attorney's Office announced the death of the witness Monday, saying only that he had died in an accident.
Police spokesman Capt. Brian Bubar said news reports that the witness died in a car crash were incorrect.
"All I can say about it at this point is that we responded to no other fatal incidents that day," Bubar said.
According to police, officers found the man unconscious in the parking lot after arriving, and that emergency crews worked to revive him for about 30 minutes before pronouncing him dead.
"There is nothing suspicious," Bubar said. "There is zero evidence of foul play."
The man suffered from extensive medical conditions, Bubar said.
Witness testimony in the trial began Monday.
