In Port Arthur, Texas, a man was found dead in a wheelchair outside a convenience store during a deep freeze affecting Southeast Texas. Passerby Daniel December discovered him Tuesday morning and said, "I touched him and it appeared he was dead," adding, "He had a hospital blanket but no shoes. He appeared to only have a hospital gown and some KFC. He had a drink and it was frozen. I called police right away." The man was wearing only a hospital gown and wristband at the time, according to KHOU.
Investigators are examining the death of a man found near a dumpster by a convenience store at Turtle Creek Drive and 9th Avenue, where temperatures had dropped to the low 20s. An arm band from SETX Medical Center sparked questions about his discharge, with one observer noting it was "kind of odd as cold as it was," as per KDFM.
Port Arthur Police are reviewing surveillance footage to establish a timeline, with Chief Duriso stating, "Where he was positioned at the store we should see some video footage that's going to show us what time he got there as opposed to what time the call came in." Community members expressed concern, with one remarking, "I don't know why anyone wouldn't make a call. They would let a disabled man in a wheelchair underdress like that just sit out there like that. That's pretty cruel."
