JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Two men were found dead outside of a warehouse in the Lackawanna area early Monday morning, according to Jacksonville Sheriff's Office. Police suspect foul play and are trying to figure out how the men died.
An officer was dispatched to Burke Street near South McDuff Avenue about 1 a.m. in reference to the discovery the bodies of 34-year-old James Battle (pictured below on right) and 23-year-old Darian Alston behind a warehouse.
"We only got one complainant that called in. That person wished to remain anonymous and it was a quick call, basically to say that they were making a U-turn and discovered the individuals back there," said homicide Sgt. Dan Janson.
Janson said an officer went to the location and found the two men dead. Janson said the bodies were found outside the unmarked warehouse.
"There is foul play, but I can't tell you what the cause is at this point. ... We haven't gotten to the bodies, we're still processing the area around them to get closer to them to make that determination," Janson said.
He said investigators are not yet sure how long the bodies had been at the warehouse. There is a neighborhood not too far from the scene, and police canvassed the area, searching for witnesses.
Family members said Alston (pictured below) was a loving and caring person who cared for his young daughter and took her to school.
"Everybody was a mess crying, screaming," Tonya Alexander, Alston's aunt, said of their family's reaction to his death. "He has a daughter that just turned 4. She just celebrated her 4th birthday. I mean, I just don't have any word to explain how everybody reacted."
Alexander said Alston was out with a friend Sunday night, and now their family is trying to figure out what happened.
Residents in the area are also concerned.
"It's a really scary thought to know that it's this close," nearby resident Alyssa Cain said. "It happens everywhere every day, and that's unfortunate, but when it's this close."
"Being this close to the house, it does make you worry, especially late at night like that," resident Anhtony Cain said.
Anyone with any information about the deaths is asked to call police at 904-630-0500 or Crime Stoppers at 866-845-TIPS.