By Bianca Fortis
A man who was found dead in the basement of a South Ozone Park home Tuesday morning has still not been identified, authorities said.
At about 4:40 a.m. that morning, police responded to a 911 call of calls for help inside the home at 131st Street near Rockaway Bouleva4d After entering the house, they found an adult male inside the basement.
Police said he had suffered trauma to the head and multiple stab wounds about the body, leading them to believe the death was a homicide.
An NYPD spokeswoman said the victim, who appeared to be in his 30s, was found tied up.
Officers said there has been no motive identified and that the case was still being investigated.
Later in the day Tuesday, the neighborhood was quiet, although both ends of the block had been cordoned off with police tape.
A neighbor named Jimmy, who declined to give his last name, said he had been unaware of the incident until he woke up that morning and saw police up and down the street. He knew no details other than what had been provided by community affairs officers.
He said he moved to the South Ozone Park neighborhood from the Bronx about five years ago and has witnessed four different shootings within that time period, including one that involved two of his neighbors shooting at each other from across the street.
In another incident, he saw a dead body on the sidewalk at about 4 p.m., he said.
“It’s funny — I never saw a shooting on my block while I lived in the Bronx,” he said.
Jimmy said he has three daughters and will not let them walk around the neighborhood by themselves when they come to visit.
He, like many of his neighbors, have installed surveillance cameras in front of their homes because of the unusual goings-on in the area.
He said he has considered moving but cannot afford to.
“I would love to get out of here,” he said. “Nobody wants to live in a place like this. This place is strange.”
When asked if he has become used to seeing police officers on his street, he said, “Well, it’s always a surprise to see yellow tape. But I guess it’s not a surprise to hear what happened afterward.”
Reach reporter Bianca Fortis by email at bfortis@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-260-4546.
