Police on Long Island identified a 79-year-old man who was found dead lying in the snow just steps away from his apartment complex.
The man, identified Tuesday as Bruno Castro, was found out back of the apartment building on Grand Avenue in Baldwin. He was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
“They found a body and took it to the hospital,” said resident Cecilia Quintanilla. She and other residents saw an ambulance rushing out of the complex late Monday morning.
It was not clear what time Castro went outside or how long he may have been there on one of the coldest nights of the year. However, a neighbor said she believed he might have been there overnight — as temperatures dipped into single digits.
“He comes out and goes to the corner to buy his scratch-offs. He must’ve tried that last night, alone, so he must’ve fell,” said neighbor Sadie Mario. She added that she knew Castro and that he had ongoing medical issues.
Other residents said his aid usually went home around 8 p.m., which is when Castro liked to take walks by himself. They believe that’s what he was doing when he didn’t make it back to his apartment.
Police have not released a cause of death, which will be determined by the Nassau County Medical Examiner’s Office.