Police identify man found dead on Southeast side

SOUTH BEND, Ind. - A man was found dead this morning on the Southeast side of South Bend. Police have now identified him as 27-year-old Trey Devante Martinez.

The St. Joseph County Metro Homicide Unit has taken over the investigation. Officers cannot confirm what the cause of death is right now, just that Martinez died from suspicious injuries. 

Neighbors in the area woke up to police outside their door and hoped it wasn’t one of their family members.

“Your mind braced all morning until you find out who it was or what was actually going on and then once you can finally breathe. You know the other mother is still not breathing,” Teri Worsham, who lives nearby, said.

The call came in just before 8 a.m. to reports of a man on the ground at the 1600 block of Marine Street.

This call from dispatch describing the scene.

“Between Indiana and Haney on Marine. Male unconscious in the middle of the street. Possibly not breathing. There’s bleeding from the arm, laying on his back,” as recorded on Broadcastify.

When police arrived, they found Trey Martinez.

“They responded and located one individual that was deceased. The cause of injury looks suspicious at this time,” St. Joseph County Metro Homicide Assistant Commander Alex Arendt said.

He said they found that a house just down the street may be related. It is a white house with a red roof. Investigators were at the house all day.

Family members have visited the scene today, very emotional.

Emotions one neighbor said she never wants to experience herself after being informed a body was found just steps from her home.

“Don’t let it be somebody I know,” Worsham said. “Don’t let it be my kid.”

It’s something she said is becoming all too common.

“It doesn’t matter what you do during the day, how you act, who you hang out with. It can happen,” Worsham said.

She said this violence just needs to stop.

“It freaks me out majorly,” she said. “It’s happening more and more. When is it going to stop? When are people going to make better choices?”

Police are questioning witnesses but investigators say it looks like a self-contained incident right now.

Martinez’s autopsy is scheduled for tomorrow in Fort Wayne.