Mounties are investigating after a body was found in a ditch on Willard Street Wednesday morning.
While the street was quiet when the NOWarrived around 3 p.m., only an hour earlier the area had been buzzing with police and crime-scene personnel, according to neighbours.
The body of a man in his early 40s was found in the 7600 block of Willard Street around 9:30 a.m., according to Burnaby RCMP Staff Sgt. Maj. John Buis.
The deceased, whose body was found in a water-filled ditch, is described as Caucasian with grey shoulder-length hair, according to a media release from the Burnaby RCMP.
Investigators with both the RCMP and B.C. Coroners Service remained on scene until about 2 p.m. collecting evidence and processing the scene.
Gino D’Onofrio, who lives a few blocks over, was on his way home for lunch around 1 p.m. when he came across the scene. He said there were cops everywhere.
Frank Messich, who lives on 12th Avenue, called the NOWafter his partner saw the activity in the area.
Messich said the discovery of the body comes only days after about 20 residents gathered at MLA Raj Chouhan’s office on Saturday to discuss safety concerns in their neighbourhood. Representatives from Burnaby RCMP and Burnaby Fire Department were also at the meeting to hear the residents’ concerns, Messich added.
Robberies, fires and garbage dumping were among the top concerns voiced at the meeting. Residents also brought up issues about the grow-op on Thorne Avenue and a recently closed meth lab, Messich said.
Another issue is lighting. There are only streetlights every 300 metres, which, coupled with a lack of sidewalks, makes the neighbourhood quite unsafe for pedestrians, Messich told the NOW.
The cause of death and identity of the body is unknown. B.C. Coroners Service is expected to release more information following an autopsy, Buis said.
The discovery is considered suspicious at this time, and investigators are asking anyone who may have seen or heard something to contact the Burnaby RCMP serious crime unit at 604-294-7922.
