A 51-year-old man was found dead in his Saint Paul, Minn., apartment Monday, Dec. 27, seven days after he reported being assaulted—and the Ramsey County Medical Examiner has ruled his death a homicide.
Carlos Venceslado Rocha called police to his apartment on the 600 block of Snelling Avenue north on Dec. 20 to report he’d been punched by someone in the building. At the time, officers took a report and medics responded, but the Rocha was not taken to a hospital.
On Monday, Dec. 27, members of the Saint Paul Fire Department checked on the victim and found him dead in his apartment. The medical examiner’s office conducted an autopsy and determined that he died due to injuries sustained during the assault.
Now, investigators with the department’s homicide, forensic services and video management units are working to piece together what led to the altercation and who is responsible for the man’s death. Investigators do not believe the incident was random and say there is no immediate threat to the public.
As of today, no arrests have been made. Anyone with information is asked to call 651-266-5650.
This is the 38th homicide of the year in Saint Paul.
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