A man’s severely decomposed body was discovered Sunday afternoon inside a white van parked along a residential stretch of Calloway Street in the Corona section of Queens, police said.
Officers responded to the scene around 3:30 p.m. after a passerby reported an unresponsive individual in a vehicle parked near Otis Avenue. Emergency medical personnel arrived shortly after and pronounced the man dead at the scene.
The individual, believed to be in his 40s, showed advanced signs of decomposition, suggesting the body may have remained inside the vehicle for an extended period. Authorities have not yet identified the man, and the exact time and cause of death remain undetermined.
Temperatures in the area climbed into the upper 80s on Sunday, compounding concerns over how long the body had been inside the van before being found.
“There were no immediate signs of foul play,” an NYPD spokesperson said Monday morning. “However, the investigation is active and ongoing.”
Detectives and crime scene investigators worked into the evening, documenting the vehicle and canvassing the area for surveillance footage. The van remained cordoned off as officers spoke with nearby residents and potential witnesses.
Two women were seen in tears near a chain-link fence close to the scene, though it was unclear if they were connected to the deceased.
Police have not released further details, and the city medical examiner is expected to conduct an autopsy to determine the cause and manner of death.
Anyone with information is urged to contact NYPD Crime Stoppers.
