A 59-year-old man was found dead early Wednesday in an Ozone Park apartment complex parking lot, leaving investigators working to determine what happened in the hours before his death.
The man was discovered around 4:35 a.m. on 87th Street, behind a blue Subaru with the driver’s-side door open. Police said the vehicle had open alcohol containers inside.
Emergency medical personnel responding to the scene found the man with a puncture wound to his torso. He was taken to Brookdale University Hospital Medical Center, where he later died.
Investigators are treating the death as suspicious. Police said no weapon was recovered at the scene, and the man’s identity had not been publicly released.
Authorities also reported trauma to the man’s head. The city’s medical examiner is expected to determine the official cause of death.
The circumstances surrounding the injury remain unclear. Investigators have been examining the vehicle and the area around the parking lot as they work to establish what happened before the man was found.
The discovery has shaken neighbors who said the area is normally quiet.
Laurie Cohen, who lives in the complex, said she had known the man for many years and described him as helpful and someone she had never had problems with.
Cohen also recalled hearing screaming from an apartment around 5 a.m. She said she could not make out what was being said and initially thought there may have been an argument or fight.
Another resident who knew the man said his presence in the rear parking area was unusual. According to the neighbor, he normally did not park there.
Neighbors also told investigators and local news outlets that the man generally kept to himself. One neighbor said he was usually alone or with his girlfriend, while others remembered him as someone they had known around the complex for years.
Police have not announced an arrest in connection with the death.
The investigation remains active as detectives work to determine how the man was injured, who was with him before he was found and what led to his death.
