A shocking discovery was made in Manhattan's East Side neighborhood of Kips Bay on Friday when a dead body was found wrapped in a sleeping bag on a dolly along a sidewalk. The NYPD responded to a 911 call about a suspicious package just before 5 p.m., leading to the grim find.
EMS pronounced the person dead at the scene, and video footage captured the dark-colored sleeping bag on top of the dolly surrounded by black trash bags awaiting collection. The dolly was secured to a scaffolding railing with a red strap.
Witnesses recalled seeing a BMW SUV parked near the location with its hatch open the night before, but the vehicle was gone by the time the body was discovered. The cause of death remains unknown, and the identity of the deceased has not been released to the public.
Residents in the area, known for its transient population, expressed a mix of shock and resignation at the incident. One longtime resident mentioned that people often sleep rough in the neighborhood, sometimes in precarious conditions that can be mistaken for death.
The body was found outside a closed alterations store, adding a layer of mystery to the already puzzling situation. With Bellevue Hospital and a large men's shelter nearby, the area sees significant activity, but a discovery of this nature is still rare and unsettling for the community.