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Authorities ID Man Who Plunged From LA Port Crane

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Authorities have released the name of a suspected car thief who fell to his death from a loading crane at the Port of Los Angeles after leading police on a chase across the city.

The coroner's office on Thursday identified the man as 23-year-old James Llamas. Officials did not immediately know where he lived.

On Wednesday Aug. 16, 2017, Llamas fell about 160 feet (49 meters) from the top of a container loading crane at the Port of Los Angeles where he climbed after an hours-long high-speed police pursuit of his vehicle.

The man left his car, climbed to the top of the crane and sat there as darkness approached.

Police spotted the car reported stolen from a dealership, and the chase ended at the vast port complex.

Three hours after he first scaled the crane and stripped naked, the man jumped and died. It's not clear whether he slipped or jumped.

Port officials said Thursday that an investigation into the incident will include a probe of how the man breached security and get into the container terminal.

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(TM and Copyright 2017 CBS and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2017 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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