Police said the 59-year-old man showed no apparent signs of trauma or foul play during the preliminary investigation.
SAN ANTONIO, Texas — San Antonio police are investigating after a 59-year-old man was found dead inside a vehicle Wednesday morning behind a restaurant on the city’s Northeast Side.
Officers were called around 5:20 a.m. Sept. 23 to the 6300 block of Interstate 35 North after receiving a report of a suspicious vehicle, according to police. The vehicle was behind the Cracker Barrel near Rittiman Road. Officers found the man unresponsive inside the car, and he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police said the circumstances surrounding the man’s death remained unclear. A preliminary investigation found no apparent signs of foul play or trauma, but authorities had not announced a cause of death as of Thursday.
The available reports identified the man only as a 59-year-old. No additional information about him was released in the initial accounts of the investigation.
The early-morning discovery prompted police to examine the vehicle and the surrounding area as investigators worked to determine what happened before officers arrived. Police did not report evidence of an assault or other apparent violence at the scene.
The distinction between finding no apparent signs of foul play and determining how a person died remains important in the investigation. Police have described only their preliminary observations and have not announced a final finding about the cause or manner of death.
The case began with the suspicious-vehicle call rather than a reported shooting, crash or other violent incident. Responding officers found the man already unresponsive when they reached the location, and he was pronounced dead without authorities publicly describing any attempt to identify an outside cause at the scene.
Investigators had not announced any arrests, suspects or evidence pointing to criminal activity in connection with the death. Authorities also had not released further details explaining how long the vehicle had been at the location before police were called.
The investigation remained open as authorities worked to determine how the man died. Police said additional information would be released as it became available.
Author note: Last updated September 24, 2026.