Dead man found in Roberto Clemente Park was struggling with heroin, cocaine
By Jayed Rahman
Published: December 5, 2014
The city man, who was found dead on the steps of Roberto Clemente Park last month, was released from hospital just hours before, according to a police report released Thursday afternoon.
Alexander Ramirez, 37-year-old, was founded dead on the stairs of Roberto Clemente Park near Essex Street, at about 6:40 a.m. on November 18th, 2014, according to the report.
A student on his way to school saw the body on the stairs of the 5th Ward park and called the police, according to the report. The student left the scene without providing a call back phone number before police arrived. “I located the male laying on his back on the walkway near Essex St,” wrote the police officer who responded to the scene.
Ramirez, a Preakness Avenue resident, was “unresponsive, cool to the touch, and had no pulse,” noted the responding officer. Underneath the deceased’s right arm was a folder bearing St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center logo. Inside the folder were discharge papers indicating Ramirez was struggling with drug addiction.
“The paperwork indicated Ramirez was being treated for heroin and cocaine use,” read the officer’s report. He was released on November 17th, 2014 at 4:15 p.m.
Police taped off the park, formerly known as Sandy Hill Park, as a crime scene. The hospital was contacted and a doctor pronounced Ramirez dead at 7:03 a.m., reads the report. Police contacted the medical examiner’s office which sent out investigators, who removed the body from the scene.
The police report does not show the cause of death or whether Ramirez died from a drug overdose.