A Dodgers game was unfolding at Chavez Ravine on Wednesday night when Los Angeles police were called to a grim scene just outside the stadium.
Around 8:48 p.m., officers responded near Bernard Street and Stadium Way and found a man dead. The location was just a few hundred yards from the ballpark, while Shohei Ohtani and the rest of the Dodgers were still on the field. There was no sign anyone inside the stadium knew what was happening nearby.
Callers had first alerted authorities after seeing the body from the road, according to police audio reviewed by the New York Post. Multiple people described the man as being in plain sight before officers arrived.
The man had not been identified at the time of writing. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s office said the case remains pending identification and notification of next of kin, so his name has not been released. Officials have not said how long that process will take.
An LAPD spokesperson later said investigators do not suspect foul play. Police have not shared any further details about the circumstances surrounding the death, and the department is continuing to investigate with the medical examiner’s office as they work to notify the man’s family.
The spot where the body was found is less than half a mile from home plate, close enough that emergency vehicles likely passed within view of fans arriving at or leaving the stadium. Wednesday’s game began at 7:10 p.m. and ran until roughly 10:10 p.m., meaning the discovery happened while the game was still in progress and the crowd inside remained unaware.
The Dodgers eventually fell to the Cardinals, 8-6, in extra innings after a tense back-and-forth night. LAPD has not said whether any additional information will be released before the man is formally identified.
Authorities are asking anyone with relevant information to come forward.
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