Santa Barbara police believe a man whose body was found Monday morning in a creek bed at State Street and Alamar Avenue died of natural causes.
Police and the Santa Barbara City Fire Department were called to the 2700 block of State Street at about 10:45 a.m. when crews for the Santa Barbara County Public Works Flood Control discovered the body of a deceased male in Mission Creek beneath the street, police Sgt. Mike McGrew said.
“We don’t really know much else,” McGrew told Noozhawk. “We have to rule out any suspicious circumstances.”
By afternoon, Sgt. Riley Harwood said the 60-year-old victim was known by police as a local homeless man.
He said the victim’s name wouldn’t be released until the Corner’s Office has completed its investigation and contacted next of kin.
Police investigators were on the scene near the intersection, which remained open with a nearby bus station and the creek cordoned off with yellow police tape.
McGrew said the bus stop serving downtown Santa Barbara would remain closed until the investigation was complete and the Coroner’s Office was called. The stop serves Lines 5 &11 for the Metropolitan Transit District.
The scene was cleared and bus stop reopened by 2 p.m., police said.
Check back with Noozhawk for more information.
— Noozhawk staff writer Gina Potthoff can be reached at gpotthoff@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
