By MES Dispatch staff
The Briefing
• A man was found dead in the back seat of an unlocked police cruiser outside the Azusa Police Department days after entering the vehicle, authorities said.
• The man had been released from custody and then entered the parked vehicle without department staff knowledge.
• The body was discovered early Thursday, four days after he was released and had accessed the cruiser.
• Police said the cruiser was left unlocked on the street in front of the station.
• Officials did not immediately disclose a cause of death or details of the ongoing investigation.
AZUSA, CA — A man was found dead in the back of an unlocked police cruiser parked outside the Azusa Police Department early Thursday morning, four days after he entered the vehicle, police said.
Officials said the man had been released from custody earlier in the week and subsequently got into the unused cruiser without department personnel knowing.
His body was discovered March 26, three days after his release and after law enforcement became aware of his disappearance, according to police reports.
The cruiser had been parked in front of the police station and was not secured with its doors locked at the time of the incident, authorities confirmed.
Police have not yet released a cause of death or detailed findings from their inquiry; the department’s investigation into the circumstances is ongoing.