THE BRONX — Cops were investigating the circumstances behind the death of a man whose decomposed body was found inside his Melrose home Tuesday, according to the NYPD.
The 63-year-old man was discovered inside his second-floor apartment, near East 153rd Street and Melrose Avenue, about 4:30 p.m. after a report of a foul odor was called in to cops.
The man's hand was badly injured, police said.
Cops believe the man, whose identity was not released, died weeks ago.
"It was horrendous," said upstairs neighbor Mauricio Ruiz, 25. "It took me 10 minutes to get the strength to walk in[to the building]."
Johnny Baez, who works at a convenience store across the street, said the man was a sports fanatic who doted on his daughter, who lives in the Dominican Republic.
"He talked about his daughter a lot," said Baez, 19. "He'd show us pictures and would buy calling cards to call down there. You could tell he loved her."
The medical examiner's office will perform an autopsy to determine what killed the man.