BCA Identifies Man Found Dead in Saint Cloud
April 28, 2023
ST. PAUL – The Midwest Medical Examiner's Office has identified the man who was found dead in a St. Cloud park the day after a foot pursuit with police. According to the medical examiner, the cause and manner of death for David Eugene Salinas, 39, is undetermined. The preliminary autopsy report shows there were no signs of physical trauma or hypothermia and Salinas did not drown. The medical examiner is awaiting toxicology results. The Minnesota Department of Public Safety Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) Force Investigations Unit (FIU) is now leading the investigation into Salinas's death.
According to the preliminary investigation, just before 4 p.m. on April 24, St. Cloud police officers responded to a commercial parking lot in the 200 block of 33rd Avenue South on reports of a man possibly using drugs in a car. When they arrived, officers spoke with Salinas, who gave them a false name. When officers told him he was under arrest, Salinas ran toward nearby Heritage Park. The officers ran after him and one attempted to use his Taser, but it was unsuccessful. The medical examiner found one Taser probe attached to Salinas's pants pocket. Two probes have to connect for the device to work. Salinas entered Heritage Park and despite search efforts, officers did not find him.
Just before 8 a.m. the next day, a passerby reported a possibly deceased person on a path in Heritage Park. Officers responded and recognized Salinas as the man they'd chased the night before. At that time, the St. Cloud Police Department asked the BCA to take over the investigation.
The officers' interaction with Salinas on April 24 and their response to the park the next morning were captured on body camera. BCA agents are reviewing all available video as part of the ongoing investigation. The BCA has determined that Salinas was wanted on multiple felony warrants and had absconded from the custody of the Minnesota Department of Corrections.
The St. Cloud Police Department asked the BCA to lead this death investigation. When it is complete, the findings will be presented to the Stearns County Attorney's Office for review.
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bonney.bowman@state.mn.us