By Sara Beth Williams–
Police have confirmed that the cause of death of a man found unresponsive near Antelope Road and Zenith Drive on Jan. 20 is accidental.
An adult male was found dead in the early morning hours on Tuesday near the intersection, police said.
Thursday, police identified the male as 63-year-old Vernon Stewart. Authorities said he was known to frequent the shopping center but was not officially unhoused.
According to Sgt. Eric Dias of the Citrus Heights Police Department’s General Investigations Unit, Stewart lived with a family member off and on.
Around 4:30 a.m. that morning, Citrus Heights police responded to reports of an unresponsive man lying on the sidewalk near the corner of the intersection.
Dias said officers were dispatched to the west side of a hair salon where Stewart was found lying face down on the sidewalk, not breathing, on Zenith Drive.
Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District personnel were already on scene and administering CPR when police arrived, Dias said.
Stewart had abrasions on his face, which investigators believe were sustained during a fall.
While the incident was initially considered suspicious, Dias said that suspicion diminished during the investigation. Toxicology reports are still pending, and it is unknown whether drugs or alcohol were a factor.
Authorities acknowledged rumors online that claimed the death was a homicide and emphasized that the rumors are untrue.
“People are coming to their own conclusions,” Dias said of the rumors on social media, stressing that this death was accidental based on the evidence and investigation.
Residents who need to report a crime or anything suspicious are always encouraged to contact the Citrus Heights Police Department.
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