“I have no idea why this happened”

A grandfather died in a fall from an open window following a break-in early Saturday, but the mystery remains as to how it eventually ended up on scaffolding attached to a Washington Heights apartment building.

Loved ones of Jacinto Remigio remembered the 73-year-old as a hard-working man two days after he fell to his death following a home invasion in which three suspects tied their 40-year-old son in time what Remigio was walking his dog. , law enforcement sources said.

When he returned home, the burglars had already fled and police were on the scene before he fell through the open window that one of the criminals used to break into the sixth-floor apartment, according to sources.

“I have no idea why this happened,” said Remigio’s son, Geurry Remigio, who was home at the time of the break-in. “I hope his soul is at peace and that we are good, honest and hardworking people.”

Authorities suspect Remigio went to close the window left open by the thieves before accidentally falling and hitting the scaffolding, the sources said. Investigators believe he may have been intoxicated at the time of the fall.

During the home invasion, the trio of thieves, all men, stole a gold chain worth about $8,000 and made off with about $200 in cash.

Geurry Remigio, who works as a registered nurse, declined to comment on the home invasion and the tragic aftermath, pointing to an ongoing police investigation.

“I have no idea why it happened, we’re honest, hard-working people,” he said of the break-in. “I live a very simple and honest life, so I have no idea why this happened.”

He stressed that his father will be missed by his family and community members.

“He was a simple man, he just came home, spent time with his family, was a grandfather and lived a simple life,” he said. “There’s not much to say. He was a figure in the community, he knew a lot of people.”