JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said units were called to a home Monday evening on the Westside in reference to a welfare check, and police discovered the body of a man.
Lt. Silcox with the Sheriff’s Office said officers and members of the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department had to force their way into the home on Garden Street just after 5 p.m.
The home is near Cary State Forest in a semi-remote area.
“Based on the circumstances, we’re treating this as an undetermined death. At this point, we do not know if foul play was involved,” Silcox said.
The lieutenant could not release further details regarding the man, saying a positive identification had not yet been made.
A neighbor who asked not to be identified said an elderly man lives at the home. The neighbor said the man regularly visits his wife in a nursing home and after he missed a few visits, the nursing home called police to request the welfare check.
“When I found out what happened to my neighbor, it was devastating. He was an older elderly guy, could barely get around. Didn’t bother anybody,” the neighbor said. “The last time I seen him he was moving in his recycling bin which was actually two weeks ago. I used to see him pretty frequently.”