JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A man whose body was found Tuesday morning inside a car that was parked by a model home in a new Westside subdivision has been identified, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office.
Derek Bridges, 36, was from Sylvester, Georgia. Police said they are continuing to investigate his death, but there appear to be no signs of foul play.
Employees going to work at the model home in the Long Leaf neighborhood found Bridges' body and called police. The neighborhood is on the Westside, just south of Old Middleburg Road South.
Bridges was found in the back seat of the car, police said.
Neighbors said they want to know what happened to Bridges, who was found in a parking lot for guests visiting the model homes for the development, which is still under construction.
"I really flipped," Cindy Adams said. "I was going out to the doctor, and I saw the cops, I saw the tape, and I thought, 'Holy cow, what the heck is going on?' And it's pretty scary."
Investigators spent hours at the scene searching for fingerprints, taking dozens of photos and finally removing the body.
Adams said she hopes Bridges didn't die from a violent crime.
"I hope they solve it, and hopefully, it wasn’t anything suspicious," Adams said. "I hope for their sake and the person's sake."