A grim scene unfolded just outside Dodger Stadium on Wednesday night while the Dodgers were still playing the Cardinals inside.
Los Angeles police said officers were called to the area near Bernard Street and Stadium Way at about 8:48 p.m., where they found a man dead. The body was discovered only a few hundred yards from the ballpark, close enough that the incident happened while the game was still going on and fans inside the stadium appeared to have no idea.
Callers had first spotted the body from the road and alerted authorities, according to police audio reviewed by the New York Post. Multiple callers reportedly described the man as being in plain sight before officers arrived.
An LAPD spokesperson later said investigators do not suspect foul play. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s office said the case is still pending identification and notification of next of kin, and the man’s name has not been released.
Wednesday’s game began at 7:10 p.m. and ran until about 10:10 p.m. Shohei Ohtani and the rest of the Dodgers remained on the field at the time the body was found, with no indication anyone inside the stadium was aware of what was happening nearby.
The location was less than half a mile from home plate, meaning emergency vehicles likely passed within view of fans coming and going from the stadium. The Dodgers eventually lost to the Cardinals 8-6 in extra innings after a back-and-forth game that stretched past regulation.
LAPD has not offered additional details about the man or the circumstances surrounding his death, and police have not said whether more information will be released before he is formally identified. The department and the medical examiner’s office are continuing to investigate while they work to notify his family.
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