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Dumpster fire may have been set to cover up man’s ‘suspicious’ death, officers say

Medical examiner working to notify family of 56-year-old man

SAN ANTONIO – A fire in a dumpster outside a West Side convenience store may have been set to cover up what San Antonio police have labeled as a “suspicious” death.

San Antonio firefighters discovered the body around 1 a.m. Thursday after putting out the fire in the trash bin.

RELATED: San Antonio firefighters find body while putting out dumpster fire

The dumpster is in an area surrounded by a wooden gate outside the store, located in the 500 block of Historic Old Highway 90.

After receiving a call from fire crews, officers showed up, then called for homicide detectives.

Although the case is still under investigation, officers at the scene said it appeared someone may have dumped the body in the garbage dumpster, then set the fire to cover up the crime.

A later report referred to the death as suspicious.

Southwest 36th Street body found in dumpster fire image. (KSAT)

Police said witnesses described a vehicle in the area just prior to the discovery. However, they were not sure whether it had any ties to the case.

It was also unclear early on whether surveillance cameras outside the store held any clues for investigators.

A worker said the dumpster would have been full of trash at the time. It is usually emptied out on Thursday afternoons.

As of late Thursday morning, the Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office was still trying to locate relatives.


About the Authors
Katrina Webber headshot

Katrina Webber joined KSAT 12 in December 2009. She reports for Good Morning San Antonio. Katrina was born and raised in Queens, NY, but after living in Gulf Coast states for the past decade, she feels right at home in Texas. It's not unusual to find her singing karaoke or leading a song with her church choir when she's not on-air.

Santiago Esparza headshot

Santiago Esparza is a photojournalist at KSAT 12.

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