Woman found dead in road in South Bend identified

SOUTH BEND, Ind. - The St. Joseph County Metro Homicide Unit is investigating after a woman was found dead lying in the road in South Bend.

Police were called to the intersection of Riverside Drive and Riverside Place, near Keller Park, around 4:15 a.m. Wednesday.

They say a neighbor who lives on Riverside Place, which is a cul-de-sac, was leaving for work and spotted the woman's body in the road.

Investigators say she had trauma to her body.

CMHU says the woman was identified as 31-year-old Denise Garcia.

One resident was stunned something like this could happen in his neighborhood.

“It’s very quiet here. We don’t really have any trouble at all I mean we love living here, this is really out of the norm,” Greg Ditsch said. “Usually it somebody going and falling into the river and you know that’s usually the most we’ve ever experienced here but nothing like this.”

An autopsy will be conducted on Friday.

If you have any information about what happened, call Crime Stoppers at (574) 288-STOP.