A dead man was discovered in the rear seat of a Houston Police Department patrol car over the weekend, prompting an investigation into how the body got there, authorities said Sunday.
The body was discovered at about 2:30 p.m. local time on Saturday in a police cruiser that had been parked outside a city-run drug and alcohol treatment center northeast of downtown Houston, according to police.
“An officer with our Mental Health Division went to his patrol vehicle to begin his shift and discovered a deceased male in the back seat,” the Houston Police Department said in a statement.
It was unclear if the patrol car was unlocked.
Officer Erika Ramirez, a police spokesperson, told ABC News the investigation was ongoing Sunday and that police are awaiting the results of an autopsy by the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences.
Ramirez said the cause of death and the man’s identity remained unknown on Sunday.
No obvious signs of trauma were discovered on the body, according to police.
“It seems like he was a homeless man seeking shelter from the weather,” Ramirez said.
According to the National Weather Service, a rainstorm hit Houston on Saturday afternoon, sending temperatures to the upper 50s.
It was also unclear how long the deceased man was in the police car before being discovered.
