The young son of Medicis CEO Jonah Shacknai died this weekend after falling in the family's Coronado mansion last week, according to a Los Angeles Times report. This news came after Shacknai's girlfriend was found dead in the same mansion two days after the boy fell.
Six-year-old Max Shacknai fell from the grand staircase in the mansion. The family announced the death to reporters in an email Sunday.
"His loving, kind and vibrant spirit will forever be in our hearts and those whom he touched every day," said the father's email, according to the Los Angeles Times. "The loss to our families, Max's many friends of all ages, and teammates, and the community is immeasurable."
Both Shacknai and Shacknai's ex-wife, Dina, stayed with their son at Rady Children's Hospital before his death.
Two days after Max's fall, Shacknai's girlfriend, Rebecca Nalepa, was found dead Wednesday in the mansion courtyard by Shacknai's brother, Adam. Police are continuing to investigate Nalepa's death, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Nalepa's body was found hanging from a balcony, with both her hands and feet bound, according to the San Diego County Sheriff's department. The Sheriff's Department said her death could be a suicide.
A connection between the deaths?
The Los Angeles Times reported that the Sheriff's Department saw no connection between Max's fall and the death of Nalepa, 32. Nalepa lived with Shacknai. The couple had been together for more than two years.
Shacknai is the founder and CEO of Medicis Pharmaceutical Corp., which makes skin-care products. The company is based in Arizona.
As of Friday, homicide detectives had autopsy results from Nalepa's death but had not released the results due to pending forensics and lab work, according to NBC San Diego.
Ted Greenberg, came to the mansion on Monday, July 11, the day Max fell, and saw Nalepa when he picked up the family dog on behalf of a dog daycare company.
“A woman named Rebecca asked us if we could come and pick up her dog because her kid was in an accident, in the hospital and in a coma, and she wanted to go to the hospital and not worry about her dog,” Greenberg said in an interview with NBC San Diego.
The Los Angeles Times and NBC San Diego contributed to this report.