ONTARIO, ORE. — Ontario Police officers are investigating what they’re calling an “unattended suspicious death” that occurred at a home on SW 9th Avenue.
“One of our officers was approached by (an unidentified person) concerned about the individual in that apartment. So we conducted a welfare check,” said Ontario Police Acting Chief Lt. Jason Cooper.
Officers discovered a man dead in the apartment about 10:30 Wednesday night.
Authorities’ have not yet released the man’s name, since relatives have not yet been notified.
The Oregon State Police forensics team is on the scene, assisting Ontario investigators. Investigators from the Malheur County Sheriff’s Office and the Oregon State Police Special Investigations Unit are also helping.
Officers questioned neighbors and are “following a number of leads,” Cooper said. He would not elaborate.
He released few details, saying only “It’s still very early in the investigation. We do not yet know the cause of death. We hope to find out more from an autopsy.”
Cooper would not disclose why police feel the death is suspicious, or if there was a weapon found in the home at the time. He also would not disclose if investigators felt the man lived in the apartment with anyone or even if anyone was believed to be in the residence near the time of death.
We have a reporter on the story and will have more information as it becomes available.
