The 22-year-old daughter of Los Angeles mayoral candidate Austin Beutner died earlier this month of unknown causes.
According to the county medical examiner, Emily Beutner died Jan. 6, with her cause of death listed as deferred, likely pending additional toxicology tests.
In a statement to the Los Angeles Times Wednesday, Austin Beutner — a businessman and former Los Angeles Unified School District superintendent — said, “My family has experienced the unimaginable loss of our beloved daughter. We ask for privacy and your prayers at this time.”
Emily Beutner was the youngest of Beutner’s four children and attended Loyola Marymount University, The Times reported.
Mayor Karen Bass, whom Beutner is trying to unseat, issued a statement saying she was “profoundly saddened” by the news.
“There is no way to describe the depth of pain experienced by parents who have lost a child. My heart is broken for the Beutner family, and I offer Austin, his wife Virginia, and their entire family my deepest condolences,” Bass said. “I will hold them close in my heart, and I am ready to assist the family with whatever they might need.”