Morro Bay police identify man found dead in middle of street
Authorities have released the identity of a man found deceased under what was initially called “suspicious” circumstances in the middle of a Morro Bay street.
The Morro Bay Police Department identified the man as 31-year-old Mathew Martin Gardiner. The department did not release Gardiner’s city of residence.
The police department said in a July 17 news release that an autopsy suggests no signs of death associated with foul play. Police say Gardiner “displayed underlying health issues, complicated by detected substance use.”
At 2:53 a.m. July 13, officers responded to the area of Harbor Street and Piney Way after receiving a report of a man lying in the middle of the roadway, a Morro Bay Police Department news release said.
Police and fire personnel arrived at the scene and discovered that the man was deceased, police said.
Morro Bay police on Monday referred to Gardiner’s death as “suspicious” and called him a “victim.”
This story was originally published July 17, 2020 at 2:01 PM.
