Berkeley balcony had ‘unusual slope’ before collapse

Attorneys representing the family of a Berkeley balcony collapse victim have contacted prosecutors to alert them to witness accounts that the deck had a “seemingly unusual slope” before it gave way during a party. The lawyers for George and Jackie Donohoe — whose 22-year-old daughter, Ashley Donohoe of Rohnert Park, plunged five stories to her death when the balcony gave way June 16 — questioned the Berkeley police handling of the case and welcomed the intervention of Alameda County District Attorney Nancy O’Malley. O’Malley’s office opened a criminal investigation after Berkeley officials said police would not look into the deaths of Ashley Donohoe and five others who died in the collapse at 2020 Kittredge St. Lucia forwarded photos to prosecutors from 2008, 2009 and 2011 that show apparent “water staining” on the balcony, along with anecdotal accounts of water leaks and other problems in the building. The design of the balcony and a second rotted deck that was removed after the collapse called for a slight slope outward — about 2 percent, according to architectural plans — to allow for water to drain away from the building. “These witnesses believed that this may have been an intended design, but in retrospect this may be evidence that there was visible deterioration of the balcony structure,” Lucia wrote. “We are certainly concerned that this is valuable and important evidence that may be critical to the investigation, but we do not know yet,” he said of the reported balcony slope.