An investment firm founder plunged to his death from a Manhattan rooftop bar on Wednesday night, police said.
It’s believed that Dale L. Cheney, 46, plummeted from Bar 54 at the Hyatt Centric Times Square New York in front of at least two witnesses around 6:30 p.m., according to the police and the sources.
Police said he was pronounced dead at the scene after landing on the street below.
Police were told by two people at the rooftop bar that the man had jumped off the building. A woman called 911 after hearing a loud noise.
The death is being investigated as a possible suicide, according to an NYPD spokesperson
Police were called to his home twice in 2008 over domestic disputes with his wife, according to law enforcement sources. Among the arguments was one about finances.
The couple filed for divorce on Tuesday, according to court records.
It was reported that the man was the founder and partner of a Connecticut-based investment firm.
“We are truly heartbroken at the situation that occurred this evening outside our rooftop bar, and we are keeping the victim’s family and friends in our thoughts and hearts,” said Tom Blundell, general manager of the Hyatt Centric Times Square.
“We are working closely with local authorities. The safety and wellbeing of all our colleagues, hotel guests and Bar 54 guests remains a top priority, and at this time, as a result of this tragic incident, we will keep the door to the bar’s outdoor space locked at all times,” a spokesperson for Blundell said.
The second incident of a person falling from a hotel bar in less than four months has occurred.
The NYPD reported that aspiring model Elizabeth Gaglewski fell from Bar 54 before hitting a balcony on the 27th floor in October. According to sources, staff tried to swoop in and prevent the 26-year-old woman from falling as she stood on the ledge.
According to family members, Gaglewski was “sweet and loving.”
“She was just a good person, a sweet and loving, caring kid,” her uncle Tony Smith said last year.