Eight-year-old boy crushed to death by 'guardian' statue outside famous Arizona hotel
An eight-year-old boy was tragically killed when a ‘guardian’ statue fell and crushed him at a famous luxury hotel.
The unnamed child suffered a serious head injury and was rushed to hospital following the incident at around 9am on November 27 outside the Arizona Biltmore hotel, in Phoenix.
It is not known at this stage why the concrete figure toppled over with Phoenix Police reportedly describing it as a “tragic accident” but they have said that there are no signs of foul play.
The boy died in hospital a day after he was hit by one of 19 ‘solemn sprite’ statues which are replicas of artwork by Frank Lloyd Wright and Alfonso Iannelli, in 1914. The sprite is supposed to be a mythical being that serves as a guardian over the land.
A statement from the Arizona Biltmore hotel read: "We are deeply saddened by the incident that occurred at the hotel earlier this morning. Our top priority is the safety and security of our guests, and our thoughts are with the family impacted by today's events. We ask that any additional questions be directed to the local authorities."