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Coroner rules out foul play in death
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Foul play was not believed to be a factor in the death of a man discovered by Manteca Police officers behind a cluster of Main Street businesses Tuesday evening.

A preliminary autopsy conducted by the San Joaquin County Coroner’s Office Wednesday morning determined that the man – whose identity is being withheld pending notification of his next of kin – had passed away from natural causes. 

Manteca Police patrol officers were called out shortly before 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday to conduct a welfare check when they discovered the man. Detectives were called out onto the scene and processed evidence well into the night. Flood lights were setup to aid in the process. 

According to Detective Sergeant Julie Renfroe, the body was discovered after the property owner requested that police make a supervisory check of the property and the area around it. Additional details surrounding the man’s death were not immediately available and will likely be made public once family members are notified of his passing. 

Tuesday’s discovery marks the second time this year that a body has been discovered behind a Manteca business. Back in March the remains of 22-year-old Kelly Marelich were found by vagrants digging through a dumpster behind a dental clinic just up the street from where police found the deceased man Tuesday evening. That case was ruled a homicide and the report from the coroner’s office officially ruling the cause of death has yet to be released. That case is still being investigated by the Manteca Police department.