Two people, a man and a woman, were found dead inside a parked car at the south end of Berkeley’s Aquatic Park on Sunday morning, turning a quiet weekend spot into the scene of a death investigation. First responders converged on the park’s southern parking lot, and officials are withholding the victims’ names while the Alameda County Coroner works to notify relatives and determine what happened.
According to the San Francisco Chronicle, emergency personnel were called just before 11 AM after someone reported a "horrible" smell coming from the vehicle. When officers arrived, they found the two occupants inside and located a plastic bag with an "unknown white powder," a detail that Berkeley police spokesperson Officer Byron White said raised the possibility of a fatal overdose.
Local outlet The Berkeley Scanner reports that volunteers participating in a trash cleanup at the park first noticed the pair and called authorities. Berkeley firefighters reached the car before police and determined both people were already deceased, according to the outlet. The Alameda County Coroner then responded to the scene and took custody of the bodies.
The coroner's office has not yet determined the cause or manner of death. One victim's name was being withheld pending next-of-kin notification and the other person had not been identified as of Sunday, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. Investigators with the Berkeley Police Department are conducting a death investigation.
Investigators Seek Answers As Overdose Possibility Looms
Police emphasized that the presence of what appeared to be a drug-related item in the car does not establish a cause of death. The Alameda County Coroner will make that call after toxicology testing and a full review of the scene. Fentanyl and other synthetic opioids have been a factor in many recent overdose deaths in California, which is why investigators treat such evidence as potentially important, according to the California Department of Public Health.
Local Impact And Next Steps
The south parking lot at Aquatic Park was briefly blocked off while crews worked, and volunteers and parkgoers were asked to steer clear of the immediate area, The Berkeley Scanner reported. Detectives are expected to continue their investigation in the coming days, and the coroner will release more information when it becomes available.
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