Man Found Dead at OC Home That Was Being Fumigated

In recent years, thieves have risked toxic gas and targeted fumigated homes, according to an NBC4 report. There is no indication that this incident, however, was linked to criminal activity.

The body of a man was found in the backyard of a Westminster home that was being fumigated Tuesday, and investigators believe the man may have been poisoned.

Exterminators found the man around 6 p.m. on the back porch of a home on the 14400 block of Monroe Lane that had been covered in a fumigation tent. Danger signs were also posted outside the home.

"It's crazy because there were warning signs listed all over," said the homeowner's daughter, Doris Danford. "You hear these stories all the time, don't go into those homes. They call it poisonous gas for a reason."

Police have not yet identified the man. He is not related to the extermination company or anyone inside the home.

"We didn’t find any signs of forced entry or any tools on him that would indicate that he was here to commit a crime," Westminster Police Cpl. Eddie Esqueda said.

In recent years, thieves have risked toxic gas and targeted fumigated homes, according to an NBC4 report. There is no indication that this incident, however, was linked to criminal activity.

Local

Get Los Angeles's latest local news on crime, entertainment, weather, schools, COVID, cost of living and more. Here's your go-to source for today's LA news.

LeBron James scores 25, D'Angelo Russell ties Lakers 3-pointers record in 136-105 win over Hawks

SpaceX launches Starlink satellites, lighting up the sky in parts of SoCal

"It’s really unfortunate that whether it was somebody trying to break in or somebody just thinking they were going to take the risks of seeing what’s inside that tent, they paid the price," neighbor Casey Wolbert said.

Police believe the man died inside the tent earlier in the afternoon Tuesday. 

"To find out that somebody actually decided to ignore the warnings and go in this house for whatever reason is pretty tragic," Wolbert said.

Contact Us