LOS ANGELES, CA – Homicide detectives are investigating the death of a 61-year-old man who was found unresponsive at a covered bus shelter in Victorville early Tuesday morning, authorities said.
Deputies were called shortly after 6 a.m. on Aug. 18 to the 14600 block of Valley Center Drive, where they found the man at the shelter.
He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Authorities have not released his name pending notification of relatives.
The case is being investigated as a homicide, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department.
Detectives have not publicly disclosed the victim’s cause of death, the nature of his injuries or how long they believe he had been at the location before deputies arrived.
No suspect description has been released.
The shelter was cordoned off while investigators examined the scene.
The location sits along a heavily traveled commercial corridor in Victorville, but authorities have not identified any nearby business or property as connected to the killing.
The Sheriff’s Department provides law enforcement services in Victorville through the Victorville Patrol Station, which operates as the Victorville Police Department under contract with the city.
The station is responsible for public safety across more than 74 square miles and serves a city population of roughly 115,000, according to the department.
The homicide investigation is being handled by the department’s Specialized Investigations Division.
That division includes the Homicide Detail, which investigates homicides, unexplained deaths and deaths considered suspicious within the department’s primary jurisdiction and contract cities such as Victorville.
The department lists 909-890-4904 as the contact number for Specialized Investigations and the Homicide Detail.
People who work in the surrounding area said the discovery was unsettling because the shelter is visible from nearby businesses and traffic.
One nearby worker said the body remained visible for a period of time before the area was fully screened off.
Some people familiar with the area said they believed the victim may have been an older unhoused man who frequently spent time nearby and occasionally asked local workers for water.
Authorities have not confirmed that identification or said whether the victim was experiencing homelessness.
Until the Sheriff’s Department or the San Bernardino County Coroner formally identifies the man, descriptions offered by nearby workers remain unverified.
Investigators also have not said whether the victim was killed at the shelter or whether he may have been injured elsewhere before being found there.
No information has been released regarding a possible motive.
Authorities have not said whether robbery, an argument, a random attack or another circumstance is being considered.
Detectives have also not disclosed whether surveillance cameras in the surrounding commercial area captured the victim or any possible suspect before or after the death.
Given the location, investigators may seek video from nearby businesses or passing vehicles, but the department has not said what evidence has been recovered.
The Sheriff’s Department has not announced any arrests.
It also has not said whether investigators believe the killing involved more than one person.
The shelter where the victim was found is reportedly no longer being used as an active transit stop, though authorities have not indicated whether that played any role in why the victim was there.
The homicide designation means investigators have determined that the circumstances warrant a criminal death investigation, even though the precise cause and manner have not yet been publicly released.
The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Homicide Detail is responsible for major death investigations and works with other specialized units when additional resources are needed.
The department says homicide investigators also handle suspicious deaths and can assist other law enforcement agencies within the county on major cases.
Authorities are asking anyone who may have seen suspicious activity near Valley Center Drive around the time of the killing to come forward.
Even seemingly minor information — including seeing a person walking away from the shelter, an unfamiliar vehicle stopped nearby or unusual activity during the early morning hours — could help detectives establish a timeline.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department’s Homicide Detail at 909-890-4904.
Anonymous tips may be submitted through the department’s WeTip program, which allows people to report information without identifying themselves.
The Sheriff’s Department currently lists 844-909-3096 as the WeTip call and text number on its official website.
That differs from the 844-909-3006 number circulated in some initial information about the case, so residents should use the number currently published by the Sheriff’s Department when submitting an anonymous tip.
The victim’s identity, cause of death and any potential suspect information remain pending.
The investigation is ongoing.
