A man was found dead lying next to a park bench at Mast Park in Santee on Wednesday afternoon, prompting a homicide investigation. Deputies from the Santee Sheriff's Station responded around 4:20 p.m. to reports of a death, where they located the deceased adult male.
The San Diego County Sheriff's Office is investigating the death. The man's identity and cause and manner of death remain to be determined. Authorities have said there is no known threat to the public at this time.
Investigation Details and How to Report Information
The station's report notes that investigators are asking anyone with information to come forward. Detectives can be reached after hours at 858-868-3200, or during business hours at 858-285-6330. Crime Stoppers also accepts anonymous tips at 888-580-8477, and the investigation remains ongoing, per the same account.
Mast Park is a Santee park, according to a Wikipedia entry on Santee. The park underwent a roughly $12 million renovation.
Contract Policing Shapes Santee's Response
Santee has no independent municipal police department; the city instead contracts all local law enforcement services through the Sheriff's Department's Santee Station, as Hoodline detailed in its coverage of an earlier six-hour SWAT standoff in the city. The Santee City Council unanimously approved a five-year contract extension with the Sheriff's Department in April 2022, according to Patch, securing patrol and specialized homicide unit coverage through July 2027.
The Sheriff's Office's Homicide Unit is investigating the case while the Medical Examiner's Office works to determine the cause of death.
A Rare Case in a Low-Crime Suburb
Santee had a 2020 population of 60,037. The city's crime profile includes more than homicide statistics.
The current investigation is taking place at Mast Park. No connection between Wednesday's death and any other incident has been reported.
The man's identity and cause of death remain unavailable. The case remains open as homicide detectives continue gathering evidence at the scene.
