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Coroner: Grandson Of J. Paul Getty Died Of Natural Causes Or Accident

HOLLYWOOD HILLS (CBSLA.com) — Andrew Getty, a grandson of J. Paul Getty, appears to have died of natural causes or from an accident, a coroner's official said Tuesday.

Getty was found shortly before 2:20 p.m. after officers received an initial call of possible distress, according to a watch commander for the LAPD North Hollywood Division.

Firefighters responded to the home on Montcalm Avenue in the Hollywood Hills and declared Getty deceased inside his bathroom.

He was 47, according to the celebrity website TMZ.com, which initially reported his death.

Police said they have detained a person of interest as the death was undetermined. That person was identified by sources as Getty's former girlfriend. Those sources also reported that she made the 911 call.

As of 10 p.m., the Los Angeles County Coroner's office said tentative information reveals that Getty died of either natural causes or an accident.

"The tentative information that we have is that he was not feeling good for the last couple months and he supposedly had an appointment scheduled for tomorrow with a personal physician," Ed Winter, the Los Angeles County chief assistant coroner, said. "We did collect some prescription bottles."

Getty's home has been the location of recent police activity ranging from noise complaints to reports of trespassing.

His father, Gordon Getty, is a billionaire said to be one of the richest men in the nation.

Late Tuesday, the family released a statement confirming Getty's death and requesting privacy. The statement said in part: "The family has requested that members of the media and the public respect its privacy during this extremely difficult time."

The Coroner's office said the department plans to perform a toxicology test.

The investigation is ongoing.

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