MT. HOUSTON, Texas – A man found dead in the trunk of a vehicle in northeast Harris County has been identified.
Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez shared a tweet that a man's body was found inside the trunk of an abandoned Chrysler 200. That man has been identified as Jamarcus Antone Howard, 22, from Baytown.
Deputies said Howard's body was found around 3 a.m. Thursday on Furay Avenue and Mt. Houston by a tow truck driver.
Emmanuel Arreola was driving down Furay Avenue when something caught his attention.
“(It was) just a car out of the ordinary, that we usually don't see parked on the side of the road,” said Arreola.
Arreola said he decided to check out the abandoned car, which he said was unlocked. Then he saw something that made him call police.
“I seen a little blood on the back bumper,” said Arreola.
Officers opened the Chrysler 200’s trunk and discovered Howard's body. Arreola said he has never experienced something like this before.
“I have been driving for 15 years and this is the first time finding a body in a car,” said Arreola.
According to authorities, the vehicle was not reported stolen. Harris County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Bobby Minchew believes the nefarious activity took place Wednesday night.
Authorities are talking with the woman the car is registered to. They believe she is related to the victim and can help identify him.
“We will retrace his steps over the last day or so to try to identify some suspects,” said Minchew.
Detectives said the area has been a "hotspot for dumping vehicles" since the mid-90s.