Elk Grove police find body under sleeping bags, say death doesn’t look suspicious

Officers with the Elk Grove Police Department discovered the body of a homeless male Thursday on a stretch of road west of the city.

According to a news release, police responded to a call asking for a welfare check around 2:30 p.m. of a person seen lying under a pile of sleeping bags in the greenbelt area of Bond Road, who was determined to be a dead adult male.

Police said there were no signs of foul play and added that the death did not appear suspicious. The man’s identity will be made by the Sacramento County Coroner’s Office.

“Today is a sad day for the city of Elk Grove,” Assemblyman Jim Cooper, D-Elk Grove, said in a statement.

Cooper called for measures to address the root cause of homelessness in California.

“Partnering with counties and cities to pass meaningful legislation that protects families that suffer from homelessness is of the utmost importance,” he said. “My deepest sympathies, thoughts and prayers are with the unidentified individual’s friends and family who lost his life today in Elk Grove. I pledge to continue fighting for those who suffer from homelessness in our region.”

This story was originally published January 23, 2020 at 4:05 PM.