Homicide detectives are investigating the death of a man whose body was found in the back of a vehicle parked in East Compton on Thursday, authorities said.
Deputies who were on patrol initially approached the vehicle around 11:20 a.m. because it was parked illegally along a dirt turn-out on the 15200 block of South Gibson Avenue, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said in a news release.
When they peered inside, they saw a man sleeping in what officials described as the “back cargo area” of the car. The deputies tried to wake him, but he was unresponsive, the Sheriff’s Department said.
After Compton firefighters responded and forced entry into the vehicle, they discovered he had suffered head trauma. He was pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said.
Coroner’s officials were working to determine the man’s identity and cause of death. The Sheriff’s Department said he appeared to be black.
Detectives had not yet identified any suspects in the case. No further details were available.
The last homicide reported in Compton occurred more than a year ago — on May 9, 2017 — when a 19-year-old man was fatally shot, according to data from the Los Angeles Times.
Anyone with information can contact sheriff’s homicide investigators at 323-890-5500. Anonymous tips can be submitted via 800-222-8477 or LACrimeStoppers.org.