'Falling Hoboken Man' Died Of Cancer, Neighbors Say

A man captured falling down a set of Hoboken steps by Google Streetview was deep into a battle with terminal cancer at the time of the incident and has since passed away, News12 reports.

The falling Hoboken man was identified as Irving de Jesus Espinal, who passed away last November.
Photo Credit: *Google Maps*

Cecilia Levine

03/26/2019 2:56 p.m.

News12 reporter Brian Donahue set out to 725 Willow Ave. earlier this month to identify the man in the image that went viral (and has since been blurred out by Google).

Neighbors told Donahue the "falling man of Hoboken" was named Irving de Jesus Espinal, and that he died last November, three months after the photo was taken, at 67 years old.

Espinal was born in the Dominican Republic and came to the U.S. He later got married and raised a child with his wife.

After he started getting sick, Espinal was placed in a nursing home, and died shortly thereafter, News12 reports.

Anthony Punzo told the media outlet Espinal, who was the super of the building for many years, was a "hell of a nice guy... a beautiful man."

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