Comedian Paul Rodriguez has revealed that his best friend Donald Serrato died at his home on Thursday at the age of 50.
Serrato had sold his own home in Torrance and stayed at Rodriguez’s home in the Los Angeles area for a few days before moving to Montana.
Law enforcement sources said authorities believe Serrato died of natural causes and do not suspect drugs or foul play were involved.
Rodriguez believes that Serrato’s alleged heavy drinking and smoking – as well as his grief over two deaths in his family – may have contributed to his death.
He explained that he left the house around 6 a.m. Thursday to go to a movie shoot and then called Serrato around noon to make lunch plans.
However, he didn’t get an answer to his call, so he contacted Serrato’s girlfriend, who then visited the house to check in on him, he said. TMZ.
Comedian Paul Rodriguez (pictured) has revealed that his best friend Donald Serrato died at his home on Thursday at the age of 50
The girlfriend arrived at Rodriguez’s home and was confronted with the sight of Serrato in bed, where he had turned blue.
She and a friend of hers called 911, and a 911 operator guided them through their efforts to perform CPR, but Serrato was already dead.
Law enforcement insiders said they received a call around 12:30 a.m. Thursday regarding a man who was not breathing.
Emergency crews responded by visiting Rodriguez’s home and finding Serrato, who they pronounced dead at the scene.
Born in Sinaloa before immigrating to Compton with his family, Rodriguez has been a comedian for more than forty years.
He is a regular on the stand-up circuit and is one of the elite group of comedians whose photos hang on the wall of the iconic Comedy Store in Los Angeles.
Early in his career, Rodriguez even led the cast of his own sitcom in 1984, also known as Pablo, which he thought was canceled after six episodes.
Over the years, fans have seen him on top television shows including The Golden Girls, Touched By An Angel and The Twilight Zone.
Born in Sinaloa before immigrating to Compton with his family, Rodriguez has been a comedian for more than forty years
His son is a famous skateboarder, also named Paul Rodriguez (right), who goes by P-Rod on social media and has over a million followers on Instagram
He has also lent his voice to cartoons such as King Of The Hill, Dora The Explorer and The Proud Family, and the animated film Cats & Dogs: The Return Of Kitty Galore.
Rodriguez has appeared in live-action films such as the 2002 Clint Eastwood film Blood Work and the 2021 Clifford release The Big Red Dog.
He just wrote and directed a crime comedy called Holy Cash, starring him among a cast that includes the comedic Aries Spears.
His son is a famous skateboarder, also named Paul Rodriguez, who goes by the name P-Rod on social media and has over a million followers on Instagram.