Dead man slumped on balcony mistaken for Halloween decoration

 

A 75-year-old dead man sat decomposing on his Marina del Rey balcony for days because neighbors thought the body was part of a Halloween display and didn’t call police.

Mostafa Mahmoud Zayed had apparently been dead since Monday with a single gunshot wound to one eye. He was slumped over a chair on the third-floor balcony of his apartment on Bora Bora Way, said cameraman Austin Raishbrook, who owns RMG News and was on scene Thursday when authorities found the body.

Neighbors on the 13900 block of Bora Bora Way told Raishbrook that they noticed the body Monday “but didn’t bother calling authorities because it looked like a Halloween dummy," he said.

"The body was in plain view of the entire apartment complex [and] they all didn’t do anything,” Raishbrook said. “It’s very strange. It did look unreal, to be honest.”

Officials with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department could not immediately be reached for comment.

Coroner’s officials were called to the complex at 6:42 p.m. Thursday, according to Capt. John Kades of the county coroner’s office. Physicians will examine the body today to determine the cause of death.

-- Seema Mehta

Photo: KTLA

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Comments

[hmm]

"Physicians will examine the body today to determine the cause of death." I suppose it was from the gunshot wound to the eye? No?

[Vera]

They mean to determine the cause as being that of murder or suicide.

[bad timing]

Halloween is the perfect time to get away with murder.

[Jim Q. Citizen]

It's a sign of the times. A man dead for days in plain view of his numerous neighbors and no one does anything except to defend their carelessness after the fact by saying "I thought he was a Halloween decoration". That people can live so closely together and not know or care about each other is nothing short of pitiful.

[Skeptical]

Gunshot wound to eye or damage after death from a crow?

[Mark]

lol...

[Say What?]

If this is a murder, it reminds me of criminals who sometimes don Santa outfits to do crimes around Christmas. Sort of using the holiday as cover.

[A concerned citizen]

This might be the right time to abolish this devil worshiping called Halloween.

[NarNar]

Funny thing is... his neighbors did NOT recognize the man himself! I would understand saying it's a dummy, had the body not been the guy living their this whole time... but it's the actual guy that lives in that apartment? You either didn't care about the man or your an idiot neighbor, pick your poison.

[archangel]

The good news: assuming Mostafa was a devout muslim and not a suicide bomber... he probably didn't commit suicide.
The really bad news...no candy handout at Mostafa's this year. :-(

[Marina Neighbor]

Ah, for "Judge Q. Public" -- please think and meditate over actual facts before disparaging Marina del Rey residents like myself. I live at the complex. I did not know him (this is a large complex) but my heart goes out to the victim, his family and friends, and I'm shocked that the crime was apparently committed here, but it also seems understandable that no one would notice given the unique apartment configuration.

First, the balconies don't extend past the living room area, most likely keeping people next door from seeing him unless they leaned over their balcony to spy around the wall.

Second, this is a large complex with nearly 100 balconies per courtyard area. This was most likely a second or third story balcony (can't tell from the photo), and it's not likely people would have been searching all the balconies to snoop on what's going on in all the apartments (I try to respect other people's privacy myself).

Third, and most importantly, if you look at the photo, the photographer had to get in the right position between TWO TREES (we have many large trees in the courtyards) to grab the photo, so the balcony was hidden by tree cover from at least some vantage points. I don't know which apartment it was, but sure seems likely that those same trees would have made it very difficult for people across the courtyard - the people who would most easily see something on a balcony -- from seeing the victim.

And fourth... to the residents here, this is one of the last places we'd think of a crime like this would happen, and I'd imagine the first thought of someone glancing up on the balcony would not be " oh, bet that's a real dead body." That kind of thing isn't something that springs to mind when we think of this community.

Yup, I complain often about LA not being nearly as warm as its climate, but this doesn't seem to be a case of people not being caring. Just a strange bunch of circumstances that disguised what looks to be a horrible crime.

[Natalie DeJohn]

Oh my gosh. This story is horrifying.

[Disgusted]

Not only is the story horrifying, some of these comments are as well. I'm looking at you Concerned Citizen, Skeptical, and ESPECIALLY Archangel.

[Rob]

@Concerned Citizen:

Devil worshipping? On All Saint's Eve?

[Anonymous]

I knew this man. He was a very sweet man and I liked him a lot. He lived alone. He was sick and secretly broke, I think that's why he killed himself. Some of the comments here are funny, even I'll admit. But overall, it's just sad. Not murder.

[Abadox]

welcome to america! wich only yourself matters..

[todd rundgren]

hmm. perhaps it was the gunshot to the eye that did him in? Nice policework there LA.

[Zeets.]

Effin hilarious. Happy Halloween everybody.

[Kris]

Hum very strange ay i might be wrong. But isn't there nother story like this somewhere. & lots variate on it.

[Ashley C]

Hey guys... maybe this is why California is broke. It's paying for coroners who examine people who have been shot in the head... to find out the cause of death. Just food for thought. I'm not a scientist or anything...

[Joey C.]

"Effin Hilarious" if you're a cold-hearted bastard. Wouldn't be "hilarious" if it was someone you knew or cared about.

[alondra]

wow you would of think that someone would smell it

[Berton gray]

this looks like a t v show murder and how to find out who shot the man.

[Mary]

Uhhh...before you make a comment, NarNar, you might want to brush up on your grammar. (there, not their; you're not your)

You as well, Concerned Citizen! Let's abolish this devil-worshipping holiday while we grieve for this man who committed the ultimate sin!!!

Oh, please, Jim Q. Citizen. When I'm not working, I'm taking care of my family, dogs, cars, bills, dinner, kids' homework, baths, laundry, etc. I guess after that's all taken care of, around 11:30pm, I'll go door to door throughout the neighborhood and check on all the residents. Hopefully, I won't get shot...

[anal andy]

Wow,I cannot believe all of the idiotic comments on here.No wonder our country is screwed up beyond reapir.I mean the only person on here that makes any sense to me is that Mary person.At least she has some common sense.I mean if you weren't sure why not just ask??? I mean are you afraid that if you touch it the thing would come to life? I mean how stupid can you be!In plain view of an ENTIRE apartment complex?Are these people just stupid or what? I think they ALL should be arrested for failing to render aid to this guy.Well if he was a muslim at least he is with Allah and his 7 virgins......