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Canadian actor found beaten to death in television host's home

By Sarah Mulé
Actress Tara Holly Dignard (L) and television host George Stroumboulopoulos arrive on the red carpet at The 2006 Gemini Awards on November 4, 2006. Actor Richard Hong, was found beaten to death in Stroumboulopoulos' Hollywood Hills home early Friday morning. File Photo by Heinz Ruckemann/UPI
Actress Tara Holly Dignard (L) and television host George Stroumboulopoulos arrive on the red carpet at The 2006 Gemini Awards on November 4, 2006. Actor Richard Hong, was found beaten to death in Stroumboulopoulos' Hollywood Hills home early Friday morning. File Photo by Heinz Ruckemann/UPI | License Photo

HOLLYWOOD, Sept. 24 (UPI) -- A Canadian actor was found beaten to death Friday night, a victim of an apparent break-in, in a Hollywood Hills home rented by Canadian TV personality George Stroumboulopoulos, authorities said.

Police found Richard Hong's body after they responded to a 911 call early Friday morning. The LAPD said the 41-year-old actor died from blunt force trauma.

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Witnesses said they saw a man dressed in a black jacket fleeing the scene, according to Officer Jenny Houser, though they were unable to locate him following a search of the area.

Stroumboulopoulos posted a statement to Twitter saying he was "heartbroken."

"I am writing this from a plane en route to Los Angeles from New York, so I can be with my friends there, who are also devastated," he said.

"We see this guy every day and all of a sudden he's been killed," said Josh Curtis, a longtime friend of Hong's. "We don't know what happened, we don't understand it, we're all very confused. We're in shock."

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