Photo: Instagram
The fan-favorite CA news anchor passed away at just 43 years old.
By Rebecca Jane Stokes — Written on Dec 28, 2018
How did Chris Burrous die? Word has come in from the news team at KTLA 5 that they have tragically lost one of their own. Popular weekend anchor and television personality Chris Burrous was found unconscious on December 27th and later, the worst was sadly confirmed: Chris was dead.
While the official cause of his death has yet to be formally determined and announced, there are details surrounding his untimely passing at the age of 43 that are currently being made available to the public. Here's a little bit about who Chris was, the impact he had on the KTLA news family, and what information is available currently as to how he died.
1. He had a long history in California broadcasting
Before his time in the KTLA spotlight, Chris had a simple upbringing in central California. His father was a farmer, and his mother was an engineer at NASA. He wanted to be in the news business for as long as anyone could remember.
For more than a decade (fourteen long years) Chris worked not just as a news anchor, but as a reporter for news stations all over the country. He was respected and admired for his thoughtful reporting skills and his affable, relatable demeanor.
In 2011 he joined the legendary team at KTLA, a career-long ambition. While working with the station, Chris made changes that would make a lasting impact on the network. It was his idea to have morning news on the network every single day of the week, now a hallmark of KTLA.
Additionally, he was a familiar face to those watching on weekends and weekdays. On weekends he served as the news anchor, but that wasn't his only contribution. When there was breaking news during the weekdays he was the anchor who delivered into homes in the KTLA area.
According to CBS Sacramento, many people felt that Chris was "born to be a broadcaster."
2. His own weekend segment made him a household name
An out and proud foodie, Chris was extremely passionate about the weekend segment he created for KTLA, Burrous' Bites, where he visited restaurants, sampled their signature dishes and gave his own reviews as a fan of nearly all types of food around.
Rather than only review prominent places in the L.A. area, he specialized in seeking out places you might overlook when seeking the tasty treats in L.A.
3. He was a husband and a father
While Chris made great contributions to the world of news broadcasting, that wasn't the only thing in his life, not by a very long stretch.
Chris was the husband of Mai Do, later, Mai Do-Burrous. The couple met during Chris's time at KGET in Bakersfield, CA in 1999. They made things official, tying the knot in 2003 and together they have one child, a daughter, named Isabella, who is 9 years old.
Just this past October Chris and Mai celebrated their 15th wedding anniversary. Chris was quick to take to social media, sharing a special message to his wife, along with pictures from their wedding day:
“Enjoying our 15th. Anniversary. She’s the yin to my yang. Thank goodness. Married in Bakersfield and next day our Asian reception at 888 in San Gabriel. I hope you have a good night.”
As of the time of reporting, Mai has yet to make an official statement about the passing of her beloved husband.
4. He was found unconscious in a hotel room
Just days after Christmas, on December 27th, the police received a call from a man whose identity is currently unknown. The time was 1:15pm and this man claimed that he was with Chris and that the anchor needed help; he was not conscious, and according to this man, he wasn't breathing.
The police in the area responded to the call to find Chris, alone and non-responsive, in a Days Inn motel room. They performed CPR on him in an attempt to revive him en route to the hospital, but once doctors took over the sad news was confirmed: Chris was pronounced dead.
5. His death is currently being investigated
The official cause of Chris's death is currently unknown but the authorities are currently investigating the potential causes for his untimely demise.
There is a serious suspicion that Chris's death was an overdose.
“We’re waiting for a toxicology report to come back from the coroner’s office. Until we get that we won’t be able to tell what the cause of death was. It is being investigated as a possible overdose,” said Sgt. Dan Suttles.
The team at KTLA was the first to report the news of Chris's death, with station president Dan Corsino saying: “Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Burrous family. Chris loved sharing the stories of Southern California and connecting with our viewers. He will be remembered as a great journalist and a wonderful friend to many. He brought a kindness to his work and will be deeply missed by the entire KTLA family.”
Rebecca Jane Stokes is a writer living in Brooklyn, New York with her cat, Batman. Her work focuses on relationships, pop culture and news. For more of her work, check out her Tumblr.