Girl Plunges to Death While Hopping Rooftops in Manhattan: Police

A 15-year-old Manhattan girl died in a fall while jumping across rooftops with friends Friday, police say.

The girl was with two other girls, both 14, jumping from roof to roof on the west side Friday, police said.

The friends hopped at least three rooftops on the 600 block of 10th Avenue, near 44th Street, where one of the victim's friends lives, according to police. 

They heard someone warn them that they couldn't be up there, and the girls got spooked and tried to jump back, according to police sources. The victim plunged into a narrow alleyway between the four- and five-story brick buildings and landed on a net covering an interior airshaft.

The net gave way, and she dropped five stories, sources said. 

The victim, identified as Natalia Jiminez of Chelsea, was taken to the hospital where she died, police said. 

Jiminez's mother spoke briefly to NBC 4 outside their home Friday night, tearfully saying her daughter "was the best girl." 

 The girl's family owns a Ray's pizza restaurant in Chelsea, and employees inside were heartbroken by the news. 

"She was too young to be an employee but she would come in and talk with us and fool around," said one regular customer. 

Her grandfather said Jiminez was a good student and always friendly.

"My granddaughter is the best girl in New York," said Rosalino Mangano. 

Candles were lit outside the apartment building where Jiminez fell.

Police were still combing the scene Friday night. 

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