Benji Gregory: ALF child star 'dies from heatstroke' at 46 after falling asleep in car
Former child star Benji Gregory has died at the age of 46 after reportedly falling asleep in his car during high temperatures.
Gregory, best known for his starring role in US sitcom ALF in the 80s and early 90s, was reportedly found dead in his car at a car park in Peoria, Arizona, on June 13.
His service dog Hans was with him and also died, entertainment news outlet TMZ reports.
According to TMZ, people close to Gregory believe he had gone to a bank to deposit cheques on June 12 before falling asleep in his car and dying a heat-related death amid Arizona’s scorching summer heat.
His cause of death has not yet been confirmed by the authorities.
Gregory’s sister Rebecca told TMZ her brother had health issues including depression and bipolar disorder, as well as a sleep disorder that reportedly kept him awake for days at a time.
She said the family was grieving, and grateful for kind words and tributes that have been paid to her brother.
ALF was a well-loved sitcom about a creature named ALF - an acronym for Alien Life Form - living with a normal American family after crash-landing in their garage.
Gregory starred as one of the children of the family, Brian Tanner.
His death came ahead of a searing heatwave that is now sweeping the US, with dozens of areas in the west and Pacific Northwest having tied or broken previous heat records in the last week.
Las Vegas, around 280 miles from where Gregory died, reached a record temperature of 48.8C (120F) on Sunday.
The dangerous heatwave has been blamed for the death of a motorcyclist in nearby Death Valley National Park.
The US heatwave has also led to record daily high temperatures in Oregon, where it is suspected to have caused four deaths in the Portland area in recent days. Those who died were aged between 33 and 84.
