Man found dead off local beach

The body of a 36-year-old man was pulled out of the chilly ocean waters off Laguna Beach at Cleo Street beach at about 7 a.m. Saturday, according to police.

The man was identified as Robert Eugene Kropp, said Orange County coroner’s spokesman Jim Amormino.

Kropp lived in Irvine, although he was initially considered homeless, said Laguna Beach Police Sgt. Jason Kravetz.

It is not clear whether Kropp died as a result of drowning, and the cause of death is under investigation.

“We are classifying the death as suspicious or possibly accidental,” Kravetz said.

A woman who was with Kropp and was described as his girlfriend was taken to the hospital due to alcohol intoxication, Kravetz said. The 30-year-old Stanton woman was unable to provide an answer to police as to why her boyfriend died.

The couple had apparently spent the night on the beach, Kravetz said. A witness told police both were in the water, and when police arrived the woman was on the sand while the man’s body had washed in with the heavy surf. He had head injuries that may have been caused by being dashed against the rocks, Kravetz said.

Kropp’s parents live in Manhattan Beach, Amormino said.

Laguna Beach police had received a call at 6:54 a.m. that two people were in the water, one floating, according to police records.