Dead man found inside police vehicle parked in front of department for days, officials say

Authorities are investigating the death of a man whose body was found inside an Azusa Police Department squad car parked in front of the department and may have been there for days, according to officials.

The man was found unresponsive at 4:51 a.m. Thursday inside an empty police car parked in front of the Azusa Police Department station, according to a news release.

The car was awaiting mandatory maintenance and was not being actively used by department personnel at the time of discovery, according to the release.

The man had been arrested on March 20 and released from custody on Monday, police told the San Gabriel Valley Tribune. It was not immediately clear how he entered the vehicle or how long he’d been there before his body was found, the paper reported.

The Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner responded to the scene and is investigating the death.

Azusa Police will also investigate the incident and submit it to the Justice System Integrity Division of the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office for review.

Anyone with information related to this incident is encouraged to contact Det. Lt. Steve Sears at (626) 812-3200.