By Mary O’KEEFE

More information has been released about the elderly man who was found deceased in his apartment on Monday when Los Angeles County Sheriff Dept. deputies from Civil Management were conducting a court ordered eviction in the 3800 block of Orangedale Avenue in Montrose.

“Upon entry [the deputies] found an elderly couple,” said Det. Ralph Hernandez, LASD Homicide Bureau. “They found the male deceased. There were no signs of foul play.”

It appeared the man, only described as a 79-year-old Hispanic male, had died of natural causes; however, detectives will not rule anything out until the cause of death is determined by the L.A. County Coroner’s Office.

“The [66-year-old woman] in the apartment was transported to Verdugo Hills Hospital,” Hernandez said.

The woman was to be held for a psychiatric evaluation.

Detectives and the Coroner’s Office were at the apartment for several hours. The coroner removed the man’s remains and the apartment has been sealed awaiting next of kin notification.

Ed Winter, assistant chief L.A. County Coroner’s public information, said next of kin has yet to be found and it may take some time to determine when the man died because the body was “decomposed.”

The yellow tape near the apartment, LASD and Coroner’s activity has made some in the area nervous.

“Often times the Homicide Bureau is called out on deaths that may not be [linked to foul play],” Hernandez said.

The Homicide detectives are called out oftentimes for suicides and natural causes deaths that may have some type of complication. Their job is to investigate and to ensure there was no foul play in many of these types of cases.

The L.A. County Coroner’s Office is the only office that can release the official cause of death and name of victim.

  Mary Okeefe