An unidentified man was found dead in a ditch on Cochrane Road
south of Anderson Lake, his legs sprawled onto the road.
BY emily alpert and marilyn dubil
Gilroy – An unidentified man was found dead in a ditch on Cochrane Road south of Anderson Lake, his legs sprawled onto the road.
Civilians first noticed the body near Half Road at 9pm Monday, and called 911. At first, the California Highway Patrol responded, believing it was a traffic accident; when officers arrived, they deemed it a crime scene, cordoned off the road with yellow tape, and phoned the Sheriff’s homicide detectives at 9:30pm. A source who viewed the body said it appeared to be a murder.
Sheriff’s Sgt. Ed Wise gave sparse details about the victim, describing him only as a “likely Hispanic” man in his 50s or 60s, with no tattoos or distinctive scars. He declined to give the man’s height or weight, describe his hair or facial hair, or to specify what he was wearing or carrying with him. Nor would Sgt. Wise comment on whether the man’s body was bruised or cut. California Highway Patrol spokesman Chris Armstrong said he had no information on the apparent murder.
The man’s autopsy was still in progress Tuesday at press time, and his name and cause of death remain unknown. County coroners declined to say if they were waiting to confirm his identity or to notify the victim’s family. Sgt. Wise said he knew of no outstanding missing persons reports the body might be linked to, and could not speculate whether the murder was gang-related or a hate crime.
Investigators believe three people stopped in the area to look at the body Monday night, said Sgt. Wise, but are unsure if they called police.
The winding stretch of Cochrane Road where the man’s body was found backs up onto Borello Farms, where ruby-red flats of tomatoes were drying Tuesday afternoon in the sun. Neighbors from Cochrane Avenue homes perched on the hills above the crime scene were stunned to learn of the incident Tuesday, and said they’d heard no sirens, screams or fighting Monday night, only a swarm of helicopters hovering over the rural road.
One neighbor thought he might have seen the body lying in the ditch while driving home Monday night, but misconstrued it as a pile of clothes or a discarded carpet, possibly a wounded deer.
Anyone with information on the incident may call Sheriff’s investigators at 808-4500.
