Editor’s Note: An earlier version of this story incorrectly reported that a person at the scene of the incident later that day said that it was a car washer who had been working in the area who had noticed the victim in the car and had called 911. In fact, the person said that the car washer had told him that it was a group of people who called 911 on seeing the victim inside the car. We apologize for this error which was due to a misinterpretation of part of the Spanish language translation of the man’s remarks and which has since been corrected. 

 

Police said an investigation is underway after a man was found deceased inside a car parked just north of the Norwood-Woodlawn border on Thursday afternoon, July 2.

 

In response to an inquiry regarding EMS and police activity at 2901 Jerome Avenue on Thursday, a police spokesperson told Norwood News that the NYPD received a 911 call on Thursday at 2.30 p.m. for a wellness check at the location.

 

Police said upon arrival, officers found a person inside a car who was pronounced deceased at the scene by EMS. Asked if there was a description of the person, the spokesperson said he didn’t have an age but that the person was male. Asked if there was an investigation underway into the discovery, police said there was.

An EMS/FDNY spokesperson later said that EMS received a call at 2.37 p.m. for a report of a cardiac arrest at 3545 Jerome Avenue and that upon arrival, EMS pronounced one civilian deceased on scene. The spokesperson said the patient’s description was unavailable.

 

The address 3545 Jerome Avenue is actually the address of Mosholu Golf Course inside Van Cortlandt Park. However, based on video footage of the scene posted to the Citizens’ App by a user called Devon, it would appear (unless the car was moved) that the incident took place at 3901 Jerome Avenue, roughly opposite the entrance to Mosholu Golf Course and a short distance from the entrance to Woodlawn Cemetery. We queried the disputed address with the NYPD and the FDNY and the NYPD later said the incident took place “opposite of 3545 Jerome Avenue.”

When Norwood News visited the scene later on Thursday night, we spoke to a man who was hanging out with other adults and some kids who were playing in a paddling pool on the side of the avenue.

 

Speaking in Spanish, the man said he hadn’t been there earlier when the body was discovered but that a carwash worker operating at the side of Jerome Avenue had allegedly told him that when some a group of people noticed the victim in the car, they called 911.

The car wash worker was no longer at the scene when Norwood News was on site.

 

The man we spoke to at the scene said the impacted car in which the victim died had been located just after the traffic lights on Jerome, opposite the entrance to Mosholu Golf Course. The man said he heard from the car washer that the victim had seemingly suffocated.

Based on the videos posted to the Citizens’ App by Devon, it appears the parked car with the victim inside was white, that the victim was in the driver seat, and that the car was located roughly opposite the entrance to Mosholu Golf Course, not too far from the entrance to Woodlawn Cemetery, just north of Woodlawn subway station.

 

The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will determine the cause of death. Temperatures reached 101 degrees on Thursday and a heatwave advisory is in place across New York City.

 

On Friday, July 3, New York Independent Service Operator (ISO) issued the following warning, “An Energy Watch for July 2 has been issued due to a decline in operating reserves. The grid is operating normally at this time and there are adequate resources to meet forecasted demand. Visit http://nyiso.com/system-conditions to learn more.” 

 

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani shared the warning, adding, “New York ISO just issued an early warning that we must alleviate the strain on our energy grid statewide. Please do your part in keeping our power on by: •Setting your AC to 78 degrees. •Turning off lights and unplugging electronics you’re not using.  •Waiting until early morning or late at night to run appliances like dishwashers or laundry machines. During a historic heatwave, AC will save lives — but only if we keep the grid stable enough for it to stay on.”

Spray caps are available at local fire houses and can be affixed to fire hydrants to cool off, while simultaneously conserving water needed for fire fighting. Per NYC Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), opening fire hydrants without a spray cap can cause a sharp drop in water pressure, reducing water for firefighters and leaving your water supply with low pressure, outages, or brown water.

 

According to 311, due to the current high temperatures and high heat indices, NYC cooling centers are currently open. Residents should call the centers directly to confirm hours and to ask for more information. Find a cooling center near you at on.nyc.gov/CoolingCenters, and find additional cooling off options at https://on.nyc.gov/2U2dXTP.

Meanwhile, according to Animal Care Centers of NYC, thanks to Petco, cooling spots for the City’s furry family members are available across the city. See the attached map for details or visit https://finder.nyc.gov/coolingcenters/locations.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website at https://crimestoppers.nypdonline.org/, or on X @NYPDTips.

All calls are strictly confidential.