Body found in Modesto’s Beard Brook Park

Authorities are investigating the discovery of a man’s body on the west bank of Dry Creek in Modesto’s Beard Brook Park.

The body was found about 10 a.m. Wednesday. Officers at the scene said landscapers called it in.

Alex Barragan, who works for Grover Landscaping, said he made the call after a man in the park alerted him. Barragan, who was on a riding mower, came across the body and called police.

Barragan said he believes he recognized the man, whom he described as a transient who frequented the park.

“We’ve seen him a lot around here,” Barragan said, describing the man as in his 40s. He said the man always was alone when he saw him and usually near the park’s baseball field.

Medical responders checked the body to confirm death, said Modesto Police Department spokeswoman Heather Graves, but the man had not been examined for signs of trauma.

“It’s not as often as you’d think,” Graves said of homeless being found dead in their encampments or out in the parks or streets. “Mostly, we get canal-type incidents. This is less common. It’s unusual to have a body by itself.”

Thanks in big part to programs that provide the homeless with free cellphones, she said, when someone is in distress, others usually call it in.

Graves issued an update Wednesday afternoon: “At this time, there is no evidence to suggest foul play was a factor in the death” and “the victim has not been identified.”

This story was originally published June 3, 2015 at 10:28 AM with the headline "Body found in Modesto’s Beard Brook Park."