Update: 51-year-old man found dead at tent encampment Thursday night
Update (Monday, 5 p.m.): Riverhead police have identified the man found dead Thursday as 51-year-old Oscar Patzan-Xiquin.
He was a native of Guatemala and was recently homeless in Riverhead, police said. Members of the public assisted police in identifying the man and preliminary results of an investigation indicate his death was not due to foul play.
An official cause of death is still pending results of an autopsy conducted by the Suffolk County Medical Examiner’s Office. Anyone with information can contact police at 631-727-4500.
Original Story (Thursday): A man believed to be in his 40s or 50s was found dead at a tent encampment in a wooded area near the railroad tracks located south of Pulaski Street near Riverhead Building Supply.
Police received a call at about 10:51 p.m. Thursday for a report of an unconscious and unresponsive man. Police and volunteers from Riverhead Volunteer Ambulance Corps determined the man had died for unknown reasons.
The identity of the victim remains unknown. Police determined through interviews with others at the tent encampment that the man, who was Hispanic, was known as Oscar. Police did not determine his last name or date of birth.
Police said no foul play is suspected.
Riverhead detectives and the Suffolk County Medical Examiner’s Office both responded to the scene to assist in the investigation.
Anyone with information on the victim or the circumstances that contributed to his death can contact Riverhead police at 631-727-4500.
Police said Oscar was white, Hispanic, in his 40s or 50s, about 5-foot-4 and about 150 pounds. He was found to be wearing multiple layers of clothing and jackets along with blue jeans and black boots.
