A Norwood man who appeared to have hoarding tendencies had passed away inside his dilapidated home on East 206th Street, with many suspecting his body had been inside the home for days.

Police confirmed they discovered the body of homeowner Martin James Brennan, 55, at midnight on Sunday, March 25, inside the home at 306 E. 206th St. off Perry Avenue. The city Medical Examiner said he died of natural causes.

“I saw them going in there with hazmat suits and the police were outside, so I knew something was going on,” said Natasha Ferrell, an eyewitness.

A second eyewitness claimed that police escorted at least two individuals from the home. “We removed ten cats from the household, all of whom have since been placed,” said Katy Hansen, Animal Care Centers of New York City (ACC) spokeswoman.

Records show Brennan had owned the house since at least 2007. The condition of the 83-year-old home was in good shape in 2007, but took a turn sometime in 2014 when mounds of trash were spotted outside.

“We had been on Martin for some time (about the cats) because he was sick. He used to feed and rescue cats around the neighborhood,” said a resident, familiar of Brennan. “They refused to pay rent and they told him if he kept asking for rent, they were going to call the city about his cats,” said the acquaintance of the home’s other occupants.

Lastly, the resident also charged that squatters continued to live in the home for days after the man died. “We hadn’t seen him in five days, so we were going to call 911 to ask for a wellness call, said the resident. “[A]nd one of the ladies who knew him said she would call someone who knows him and has a key. And the lady who had the key said she went and that he was okay. And 10 days later we got the call saying he had been dead for more than two and-a-half weeks and the police had to break in.”

The medical examiner could not give an exact date of death, but added, “due to the decomposition, he was there for a while,” before he was found by police.

Four 311 complaints—three in 2017 and one in 2018—were filed against the building. One complaint in June 2017 was filed for excessive debris outside the home and people living in an abandoned building. A visit the next month found the home’s door and windows secured and no further action was required.

In the days since the police and ACC left the home, the once open path into the home is again blocked by debris and light continues to shine in a second-floor room. It’s unclear if anyone is still living in the home.