NYPD crime scene investigators recovered skeletal remains of a human in the basement of a long-vacant building in Richmond Hill on Monday night.
A construction worker made the grisly discovery while doing demolition work in a building at 119-22 Jamaica Ave. near 120th Street and notified police at the 102nd Precinct in Richmond Hill.
The skeleton was removed and taken to the city’s Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, which confirmed that the remains are human. The examiner is working to determine the cause of death, police said.
The vacant property has received Department of Buildings violations in the past, most recently on Nov. 14, 2023 when DOB inspectors issued violations for failure to maintain the building after observing that the basement doors leading to a public sidewalk were in disrepair, creating a fall and tripping hazard.
Additionally on Nov. 14, 2023, DOB inspectors ordered the property owner to seal the basement doors to prevent unauthorized access.
