A death investigation is underway after a body was found when firefighters responded to a dumpster fire outside the Kelly Center for Hunger Relief near Downtown El Paso, police said.
The initial call about a large outdoor trash bin on fire came in about 9:30 p.m. Friday, May 30, outside the charity food distribution center at 915 N. Florence St., by Montana Avenue, El Paso police spokesman Officer Adrian Cisneros said in a media message.
The Kelly Center for Hunger Relief posted on Facebook that its food pantry, which feeds hundreds of people a week, will be closed Saturday “due to unforeseeable circumstances.”
The death is under investigation by detectives with the Crimes Against Persons Unit, which handles all death investigations, including homicides, Cisneros said.
The cause of death, the identity of the deceased person and further details on the circumstances surrounding the fire have not been disclosed as the investigation continued Saturday.
Arson-related deaths near Downtown El Paso
The dumpster fire case follows to two arson-related deaths in the vicinity of Downtown in recent months.
The body of a man was found April 20 during debris removal work following an arson that burned two vacant houses in 1300 block of Magoffin Avenue near Brown Street, east of Downtown. The case is under investigation.
A homeless man, Salome J. Lares, 46, was killed when he was brutally beaten and set on fire on March 28 in 700 block of North Ochoa Street, near Wyoming Avenue, just north of Downtown, police said. David Garcia, 33, was arrested on a murder charge and is jailed on a million-dollar bond.
Anyone with information regarding the fire and death on Florence Street or any arson case may call the police nonemergency number at 915-832-4400 or may anonymously call Crime Stoppers of El Paso at 915-566-8477 (TIPS).
Daniel Borunda may be reached at dborunda@elpasotimes.com and @BorundaDaniel on X.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Body found during dumpster fire at El Paso food bank
Reporting by Daniel Borunda, El Paso Times / El Paso Times
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
