SHEEPSHEAD BAY, Brooklyn (WABC) — A woman was found dead inside a trash can in a parking lot near Plumb Beach in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn on Wednesday, according to a source, prompting an ongoing police investigation.
According to police, someone called 911 shortly after 3 p.m. Wednesday to report an unresponsive woman. First responders pronounced her dead at the scene.
Investigators spent hours at the parking lot off Plumb Beach gathering evidence. Police were seen examining the trash can and collecting items from the scene as detectives worked into the night behind a taped-off area.
Authorities have not said whether there was any obvious cause of death or trauma to the woman’s body. The city medical examiner will determine how she died.
Police also have not released the woman’s age, identity or any other identifying information. Investigators may still need to make a positive identification.
The discovery of the woman’s body inside a trash can, according to a source, has raised questions about the circumstances surrounding her death, though authorities have not said whether she was the victim of a homicide.
The parking lot is used by visitors to Plumb Beach, a small sandy peninsula off Sheepshead Bay south of Gerritsen Beach. Residents said they were surprised to encounter a crime scene in an area they described as quiet and safe.
Roberto Avitia, a Sheepshead Bay resident, said he frequently runs in the area at night.
“Yeah, I alternate depending on my work schedule but most of the time yeah at night because it’s cooler and everything,” he said.
Asked how he would describe the area, Avitia said, “Calm, peaceful. This area specifically, out of the way, so it does kind of check out.”
Another resident, Nathaniel Lozada, described the area as lightly traveled.
“This is like a busy highway area. Not even much people come to the beach. You only really see a few car areas so it’s not even like a really tourist heavy beach, it’s really just a quiet area,” he said.
The medical examiner removed the woman’s body Wednesday evening. Police said they are working to determine how she died and whether any crimes were committed in connection with the discovery.
———-
* Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts
* Download our connected TV app
Submit a tip or story idea to Eyewitness News
Have a breaking news tip or an idea for a story we should cover? Send it to Eyewitness News using the form below. If attaching a video or photo, terms of use apply.
Copyright © 2026 WABC-TV. All Rights Reserved.