PETALUMA, Calif. (AP) — Authorities say a police officer may have been the last person to see a Santa Rosa man alive before his remains were discovered at a garbage disposal site.
The Santa Rosa Press Democrat reports 30-year-old Luis Gomez-Diaz told an officer he was homeless and didn't need help as he walked along railroad tracks late Thursday night.
Friday afternoon, a garbage truck driver discovered his body in the trash at the North Bay Corp. near Petaluma.
Petaluma police Lt. Tim Lyons says officials suspect Gomez-Diaz may have climbed into a recycling bin to stay warm, and either succumbed to the elements or was trapped when a truck picked up the bin.
Gomez-Diaz's family is devastated by the loss. They say he was not homeless but troubled about having recently lost his job as a cook.
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Information from: The Santa Rosa Press Democrat, http://www.pressdemocrat.com
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