Authorities are investigating the discovery of a man's skeletonized body found by a cleaning crew inside a couch at a Brooklyn residence. The grim finding occurred Thursday morning at a building located on Union Street and Utica Avenue in the Crown Heights neighborhood.
The cleaning service arrived at the property around 8:50 a.m. According to the NYPD and sources, a resident initially called the police, mistaking the cleaners for burglars. Officers responded to the scene but left after realizing the error. Approximately 30 minutes later, the cleaning crew made the discovery and law enforcement returned.
Sources reported that the crew found the heavily decomposed remains of a man wedged within a sofa. The building is known to house mentally ill and disabled residents.
It is currently unknown whether the man was a victim of a crime. The Medical Examiner's office is working to determine the official cause of death. The investigation into the incident is ongoing.