LOS ANGELES — A preliminary investigation into the death of former child actor Corey Haim found he died early Wednesday morning of an apparent drug overdose, sources said.
There was no sign of foul play, investigators said, but it was not immediately clear what type of substance led to the death of the 38-year-old actor, who was taken to Providence St. Joseph Medical Center in Burbank after being found unresponsive at his home.
He was officially pronounced dead at 3 a.m. PST at the hospital. The investigation is now in the hands of the Los Angeles County coroner's office.
Police learned of Haim's death when staff at the hospital called authorities between 4 and 4:30 a.m., said Sgt. Frank Albarren of the Los Angeles Police Department's North Hollywood Station.
"It was an apparent overdose," Albarren told reporters. "Unknown what type of medication."
Haim's death comes after the recent deaths in Los Angeles of two other young celebrities, actress Brittany Murphy and heiress Casey Johnson. Murphy, 32, died in December of multiple-drug intoxication complicated by health issues, and Johnson, 30, in January of diabetic-related complications, according to the county coroner.
Corey Ian Haim was born in Toronto in 1971. His first film was "Firstborn" in 1984. Roles followed in "Murphy's Romance" and "Silver Bullet" in 1985, "Lucas" in 1986 and "The Lost Boys" in 1987.
Haim struggled with drug problems but in recent years had attempted a comeback, starring in an A&E Network reality show "The Two Coreys" with longtime friend and costar Corey Feldman.
Times TV critic Robert Lloyd described the show this way:
"The premise seems to be this: Corey (Feldman) and his wife, Susie, have welcomed Corey (Haim) into their home in order to make a television show about, um, welcoming Corey Haim into their home.... This arrangement supposedly has something to do with helping Corey H. get his career/life back on track — clearly we're to regard him, and with some cause, as the more troubled of the two."