Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Man Found Dead In LES Apt. After Blood Seeps Into Beauty Salon Below
By
Jen Chung
Published Jul 20, 2016
Modified Jul 20, 2016
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Jen Chung
Published Jul 20, 2016
Modified Jul 20, 2016
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
The decomposing body of a 27-year-old man was found in a Manhattan apartment yesterday after a business owner on the ground floor noticed a terrible odor and other signs of death. She told the Daily News, "I saw blood dripping from the ceiling in the bathroom and called cops."
Caridad Alvarado, who owns the Grace Salon at 39 Essex Street, initially thought the overpowering smell was from "nearby porta-potties" over the weekend. The News reports, "The smell worsened on Monday so she lit incense and called the landlord, but he only knocked on the man’s door. She was horrified when she noticed a deep red stain on the salon’s bathroom ceiling Tuesday."
"There was blood coming down from the second floor," she told the Post. "I was sure somebody was dead upstairs because that’s not normal.”
She cancelled her appointments and called 911, according to the Lo-Down, which also reports, "The victim was staying in the apartment while a longtime tenant was out of town. Alvarado said she’d seen the man off-and-on around the building during the five years she’s worked on Essex Street. A neighbor said this evening that the victim recently lost his job but was not distressed. He described the man as a happy person."
The Post, which published a grisly photograph of the blood dripping down a pipe into the salon, reports that the man was a construction worker who lost his job recently.
The medical examiner will determine a cause of death.
Tagged
found body
Lower East Side
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
NY Archdiocese will soon settle $800M clergy sexual abuse claims
The deal would compensate over 1,300 alleged victims and help the church avoid bankruptcy.
By
Arya Sundaram
Published Oct 24, 2026 at 6:31 p.m. ET
Chinatown residents file lawsuit against after-hours construction on new 'mega jail'
Residents cite sleep disruption and dust-induced illness from nearly ‘round the clock’ construction.
By
Arya Sundaram
News
Chinatown residents file lawsuit against after-hours construction on new 'mega jail'
Residents cite sleep disruption and dust-induced illness from nearly ‘round the clock’ construction.
By
Arya Sundaram
Peepapalooza: NYC is heading to the Hudson Valley to watch the leaves
By
Elizabeth Shwe
and
Sean Carlson
NYPD: Officer shot, injured knife-wielding woman during ‘chaotic’ night at Queens home
By
Ryan Kost
3 slates vying to run Jersey City school board as city stares down major tax hikes
By
Michael Sol Warren
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .