New York Daily News – by Nina Golgowski
Police are investigating the death of a man found inside of a parked car, a couple blocks from where Missouri teen Michael Brown was killed in August, as a homicide, according to a local report.
The body of 20-year-old DeAndre Joshua, who was identified by his family to USA Today, was found near Ferguson’s Canfield Green Apartments around 9 a.m. Tuesday.
His death followed the first wave of violence and destruction that washed through the St. Louis area over a grand jury’s decision not to indict Brown’s killer.
St. Louis County Police Chief Jon Belmar wouldn’t provide the man’s cause of death or say whether it’s connected to the nearby riots when reached by the St. Louis Post Dispatch.
KTVI reported that the driver’s side window was shot out while a nearby resident claims they overheard four people with guns talking about looting and killing someone Monday night.
“I knew it was going to be true,” Richard Taylor told the Post Dispatch after hearing word of the young man’s death. “When I got up this morning, I saw this.”
Taylor said he called police after hearing the men’s conversation but officers never showed up.
“There was a lot going on last night, but I thought at least someone would show up to arrest these guys,” Taylor said.
The young man’s death has been ruled suspicious by police but has yet to be confirmed as tied to the early morning’s violence.
His family, speaking to USA Today, has expressed their conviction that it is.
“Police don’t care — he’s black,” his grandmother Renita Towns said on whether his death will be thoroughly investigated by local authorities.
One relative, standing among sobbing family members, called Joshua “a good kid” who “never had any problems.”
“It’s like somebody just hit us with a brick,” Brian Joshua, 45, told the paper.
Brian Joshua said the 20-year-old had graduated from high school and was working at a Walmart.
A Facebook page appearing to belong to him lists him as having also studied at Southern Illinois University.
Facebook users, identified on that page as his family, have since expressed their heartbreak over his sudden loss.
“God calls another one of his children home, Deandre Joshua, lord we pray and ask you once again help this family lord,” Stephanie Joshua posted on her Facebook wall Tuesday afternoon.
An autopsy on the body is underway, according to The St. Louis County Medical Examiner’s office.
more then likely killed by one of his own race