Homeless man found slain in downtown Fresno

Detectives are investigating the apparent murder of a homeless man whose body was found early Monday near Stanislaus and Broadway streets in downtown Fresno.

The homicide is one of several involving homeless people on Fresno streets early in 2017.

The newest victim was discovered at 5:42 a.m. by a passerby who found the older male lying in the street with blood covering his clothing. Lt. Joe Gomez said he had sustained “trauma to his upper body.”

Gomez said the victim was slain at his encampment near the railroad tracks near the Stanislaus Street bridge. The fatal assault took place sometime before 4 a.m., when a witness reported seeing the man running on Stanislaus, apparently after the attack.

Police blocked Stanislaus and several other streets, and Gomez described the area as a fairly large crime scene.

Other homicides involving the homeless in Fresno include the slaying of James Lindsay on Jan. 10 near Floradora and Highway 168. Police arrested 34-year-old Jose Garcia and an unidentified juvenile in that slaying, which was described as gang-related.

On Jan. 18, a homeless man who was a homicide victim was found behind a dumpster at a shopping center near Barstow Avenue and First Street.

On Feb. 17, a woman who police reported was a homicide victim and had suffered “upper body trauma” was found near Blackstone and McKinley avenues. She was identified Monday as Tina Luster, 42, of Fresno.

If Monday’s death is determined to be a murder, it would bring to 13 the number in the city this year, Gomez said. Seven are gang-related. Last year at this time, there were seven, with three gang-related.

This story was originally published February 27, 2017 at 7:23 AM with the headline "Homeless man found slain in downtown Fresno."