Suspicious Death Outside Pasadena Goodwill Store Under Investigation

Police are investigating the death of a man whose body was found Tuesday morning among donated items outside a Goodwill store in Pasadena, in what authorities are calling a suspicious incident that may be drug-related.

The body, wrapped in a blue tarp and blanket, was discovered by a store employee at approximately 11:01 a.m. in the open-air donation area outside the Goodwill location in the 300 block of South Fair Oaks Avenue, according to Pasadena Police Lieutenant Monica Cuellar.

Officers responded one minute later, at 11:02 a.m., secured the scene with yellow crime tape, and began collecting evidence.

The man, described as an adult in his early 30s, was pronounced dead at the scene, Cuellar said.

Police are withholding his identity pending notification of next of kin. Investigators said drug paraphernalia was found near the body, indicating a possible overdose, though the official cause of death has not yet been determined.

Footage from the site showed investigators examining the donation area and reviewing surveillance video from the premises, which Cuellar confirmed is being evaluated as part of the ongoing investigation.

The body was located in an open section adjacent to the store’s front entrance, not in a closed donation receptacle, Cuellar clarified, noting the area’s visibility from the street.

Detectives worked the scene for several hours, and the coroner’s office arrived later Tuesday afternoon, though it remains unclear if the deceased man’s family had been contacted by Wednesday morning.

Anyone with information about this case is encouraged to call the Pasadena Police at (626) 744-4241 or report information anonymously by contacting “Crime Stoppers” at (800) 222-TIPS (8477) via your smartphone by downloading the “P3 Tips” Mobile App on Google Play or the Apple App Store, or by using the website http://lacrimestoppers.org