Dead Body Found in Driveway Near Virginia Avenue and Kansas Avenue in Santa Monica; Death Not Treated as Homicide

SANTA MONICA - A person was found deceased Monday evening in a driveway near the intersection of Virginia Avenue and Kansas Avenue in Santa Monica, according to multiple neighborhood witnesses. Police and the coroner's office responded to the scene, which was located across from 2600 Virginia Avenue and next to a preschool.

Witnesses reported that a motorist pulling into a driveway discovered an individual on the ground and contacted authorities. Santa Monica Police Department officers arrived, with three to four patrol vehicles on scene. A Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner–Coroner van later responded. The area was secured for a period as personnel worked to clear the location.

Neighbors who observed the activity stated that the death was not treated as a murder. One nearby resident who spoke with others in the area confirmed the person had died but that the incident was not a homicide. About two homeless people per week die in Santa Monica of drug overdoses or natural causes; this is not to say this person was necessarily homeless.

No further official details, including the identity of the deceased or the preliminary cause of death, have been released by the Santa Monica Police Department or the medical examiner's office as of early Tuesday. Unattended deaths typically prompt a police response and coroner investigation under California law to determine circumstances and manner of death.

The scene was eventually cleared after several hours. Anyone with additional information is encouraged to contact the Santa Monica Police Department.

In July so far, there have been two suspected murders in Santa Monica.