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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“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.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n It was unclear if the patrol car was unlocked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ramirez said the cause of death and the man’s identity remained unknown on Sunday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n No obvious signs of trauma were discovered on the body, according to police.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “It seems like he was a homeless man seeking shelter from the weather,” Ramirez said.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n According to the National Weather Service, a rainstorm hit Houston on Saturday afternoon, sending temperatures to the upper 50s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It was also unclear how long the deceased man was in the police car before being discovered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n