The Azusa Police Department said officers found the man in the back seat of an out-of-service patrol car parked in front of the station.
A man was found dead inside a patrol car parked in front of the Azusa Police Department on Thursday. Officers said they found the man's body in the back seat of the out-of-service vehicle early in the morning.
Police Chief Rocky Wenrick said officers were unaware that the man entered the vehicle. He added that the man was not in the department's custody when he got into the patrol car. 'The vehicle was pending mandatory maintenance and was not in active use by department personnel at the time of discovery,' Azusa PD wrote in a Facebook post.Wenrick said that it is not uncommon for patrol cars that are out of service to be parked outside of the department for days, if not weeks, at a time. 'The vehicle had been left unlocked, and it should have been secured,' Wenrick wrote. The police chief said the department hired an outside firm to investigate the entire ordeal, which includes determining why the patrol was left unlocked. 'The Azusa Police Detective Bureau is conducting the initial criminal investigation,' Wenrick wrote. 'The Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner has responded and will determine the circumstances, manner, and cause of death.'Officers will also hand over all evidence, security camera footage and investigative reports to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office.'There are multiple internal and external investigations underway,' Wenrick wrote. 'These investigations will take time, and the Azusa Police Department will release legally permissible information at the appropriate stage. This remains an active investigation; we ask for patience as investigators work diligently on the case.'
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Man shot, killed during standoff with police in Northampton Co., police sayA man was shot and killed during a standoff with police in Lower Saucon Township, Pennsylvania, on Wednesday, March 25, 2026, the coroner said.
Read more »
Man Found Dead Inside Unlocked Police Car After Release from Azusa CustodyA man who was released from Azusa police custody was found dead inside an unlocked police car parked outside the police department. An investigation is underway, with the medical examiner determining the cause of death.
Read more »
Education Department to Vacate Headquarters, Energy Department to Take OverThe Education Department will relocate to a smaller office as the Energy Department takes over its current headquarters, a move the Trump administration says will reduce the federal education footprint and save on maintenance costs, while critics argue it represents a broader effort to reduce the federal government's role in education.
Read more »
Montgomery Police Department puts potential recruits to the testMontgomery, Alabama
Read more »
Man found dead in unlocked Azusa police patrol carAzusa PD has launched an independent investigation after a man was found dead in an unlocked patrol car at the station Thursday morning.
Read more »
Dead man found inside police vehicle parked in front of department for days, officials sayA man was found dead Thursday inside a police car parked in front of the station in Azusa, officials said.
Read more »