Dead man found in SUV in Watsonville; he’d been displaced by Salvation Army shelter closure

Watsonville police cordon off a Jeep Grand Cherokee Tuesday morning on Second Street where a male passenger in the front was found dead. (Photo by Tarmo Hannula/Register-Pajaronian)

WATSONVILLE — A homeless man displaced by the recent closure of the Salvation Army shelter in Watsonville died Tuesday morning in an SUV, according to the man’s friend, Bob Withers, who was driving the vehicle.

Withers, 79, said he met the man, whom he knew only as Bill, after the Salvation Army on Union Street closed its shelter in August and displaced about 40 people.

“He was just a friend I met at the Salvation Army,” Withers said. “When the shelter closed, I told them I’d take care of Bill.”

Withers said Bill was either 61 or 71 and had a medical condition that led to paralysis in his left leg, which made it difficult to get out of Withers’ vehicle, a white Jeep Grand Cherokee.

“He’s better off dead than how he was,” Withers said.

Withers said he and Bill would drive to the Pajaro Rescue Mission on Railroad Drive in Pajaro, but sleep in the Jeep.

During the day, Withers said, they tried to escape the cold by finding sunny places to park.

Withers said he was driving in the downtown area when he noticed Bill drooling. A short time later the drooling stopped and Bill became unresponsive. He then pulled behind a California Highway Patrol officer on Second Street on the side of Watsonville Civic Plaza.

“I pulled behind him and said, ‘I have a dead person in the car,’” Withers said.

Police said there did not appear to be suspicious circumstances, but they were investigating the death.

As police cordoned off the area, the drinks and sandwiches Withers had purchased for their lunch were still on the dashboard. He declined an offer by a reporter from this newspaper for a cup of coffee.



For the complete article see the 09-18-2012 issue.

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