Man Beaten to Death in George Strombo's LA Rental

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George Stroumboulopoulos says he is "heartbroken" by the death of a "dear friend" whose body was found in his Los Angeles rental home.

Los Angeles police told the New York Daily News they found Canadian actor Richard Hong, 41, beaten to death after responding to a robbery call at Stroumboulopoulos' home in West Hollywood after 2 a.m. Friday morning.

Hong had died from "severe head trauma," ABC7 reports. In a statement released on Facebook, Stroumboulopoulos said Hong had been staying at the home while the CanadianTV host was in New York and that his death was likely the result of a break-in.

Witnesses said an assailant in a black jacket was seen fleeing the area, investigators told ABC7.

Stroumboulopoulos says he is returning to Los Angeles to mourn with his other friends.

Stroumboulopoulos became the host of Hockey Night in Canada in 2014 after Rogers Media acquired the NHL rights in a 12-year, $5.2-billion deal, but left earlier this year to “to explore new creative opportunities.”

Stroumboulopoulos won numerous Gemini awards as a CBC host and had a short-lived talk show on CNN before moving to Hockey Night in Canada.

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