Teen dies after fall from tower

Daniel Serrano, 17, a senior at Lincoln High School, died Sunday after falling from the water tower in the city's old corporation yard at McBean Park.He was the son of Charles and Karen Serrano."Some people are saying he fell and some people are saying he jumped," said Ashlee Hobbs, 15, a sophomore at Lincoln High.Hobbs added she was supposed to hang out with Serrano and a friend Sunday afternoon, but instead went to the movies with her parents.According to a Lincoln Police Department press release, police received a call at about 4:20 p.m. Sunday regarding a young man who threatened suicide by jumping from a building.While attempting to locate the juvenile, Lincoln Police received a report that two people were on top of the water tower and one was yelling that he wanted to die. Officers responded to investigate and while attempting to determine whether or not anyone was on top of the water tower, they observed someone fall from the tower.The person that fell, Serrano, was identified as the same teenager who threatened suicide by jumping from a building.Hobbs said she thought that was the first time her classmates had ever been at the water tower, adding she doesn't think it's typically a place to hang out.Officers on scene provided medical care until medical personnel arrived. Serrano was pronounced dead at the scene.No foul play is suspected at this time, according to the police. The incident currently is under investigation, and its completion is pending an autopsy report. The News Messenger will follow up with more information once the investigation is completed. Tony Vigil, 17, a senior at Lincoln High, said he and Serrano were best friends."It's just really hard for me right now," Vigil said.Vigil said he and Serrano hung out often and that Serrano never spoke about suicide. Vigil added he didn't even want to speculate about what happened.Serrano "was a pretty mellow kid, pretty cool to hang out with," Vigil said. "He got along with everyone."Kris Wyatt, a counselor at Lincoln High, said she remembered Serrano as a very well-liked student."He had a good sense of humor," Wyatt said. "He was very light-hearted, funny."Wyatt said Serrano transferred to Lincoln High from a private school this fall, and only a week earlier she was working with Serrano to make sure he had all of the required courses taken care of so that he could graduate in June.Charles Serrano said the family moved to Lincoln in 2001.From what he was told, his son and a friend were just hanging out on the water tower. He said he understood his son was walking around the water tower and tripped.Charles Serrano described his son as a happy-go-lucky, teenager who liked to have fun and live for the moment. He said his son was easy to get along with. Lincoln High junior Sabrina Vigil, Tony's younger sister, said she heard about the incident Sunday night, but added that most people at Lincoln High heard about it in first period at school Monday morning. She said there was a big crowd of students where Serrano used to hang out before school."People were crying," Sabrina Vigil said. "Girls were crying and all the guys had really red eyes."Wyatt said grief counselors were on campus Monday to help students and faculty cope with the tragedy."Our students generally have a tendency to help each other," Wyatt said.Mary MacQueen, activities director at Lincoln High, said a memorial service will be held for Serrano at noon today at Lincoln High's outside theater by the new gym. Balloons will be released in Serrano's memory and students will speak.An open service will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday at Colonial Chapels, 1000 Redwood St., Vallejo. The Serranos are originally from Vallejo's American Canyon area. The graveside service will be private. Questions remain how the two teens gained access to the water tower.There is a fence around the old corporation yard surrounding the water tower, and Pedri said there is a locked cage at the foot of the ladder to prevent people from climbing up.Doyle Champlain, public works operational manager, said it's approximately 60 to 80 feet off the ground from where Serrano fell."Something needs to be said to the community - that tower needs to come down," Charles Serrano said.The city already has awarded a contract to remove the water tower to make room for a new city fire station. At its Oct. 25 meeting, the Lincoln City Council awarded a contract for $73,000 to Two Rivers Demolition Inc., for the removal of the 1.5-million gallon tank.Pedri said the tank should be removed within four months."This is a time for healing," Wyatt said, adding it's tough because of all of the holiday stress.It's also tough on the Serrano family, not knowing exactly what triggered the incident."I believe it was a fall," Charles Serrano said.