A quiet Monday afternoon at a Deer Park housing complex turned grim when workers shoveling out from Winter Storm Hernando uncovered a man buried in the snow near a walkway outside the property, police said.
Staff clearing paths at the Babylon Park Center on Parkcenter Drive found the body at about 3:45 p.m., and Suffolk County police pronounced the man dead at the scene. Detectives said the death appears to be non-criminal, and the county medical examiner is set to perform an autopsy to determine the official cause, according to Patch. The victim’s name has not yet been released, pending notification of his family.
The complex is listed at 100 Parkcenter Drive in Deer Park, per Apartments.com. Local outlets report the body was found at about 3:45 p.m., and police have asked anyone with information to contact the Homicide Squad at 631-852-6392, according to Greater Long Island.
Storm set the scene
The discovery came as Winter Storm Hernando dumped heavy snow across Suffolk County, turning sidewalks and walkways into treacherous routes and burying some neighborhoods under feet of snow. Live updates and forecasts described the system as a powerful nor'easter that "bombed out" across the Northeast, delivering historic snowfall totals in parts of the region, according to The Weather Channel.
Cold-weather deaths and outreach
The case surfaces amid growing scrutiny over how officials and outreach teams protect people during dangerous cold snaps. New York City officials recently said 19 people were found dead outdoors during a deep freeze, and the chief medical examiner previously determined at least 15 of those deaths were due to hypothermia, figures advocates have seized on to push for expanded shelter access and more aggressive outreach, according to CBS New York.
Suffolk County police said detectives will release more information as the medical examiner’s review continues, according to Patch. We will update this story when officials provide autopsy results or further details.
