Police seek help identifying person found dead in northwest Indiana

Police are asking for the public’s help in identifying a person who was found dead Saturday afternoon in northwest Indiana.

Officers responded to a call of a person down about 3:45 p.m. and found the male in an alley in the 3600 block of Georgia Street in Gary, according to Lt. Dawn Westerfield. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

He is described as a 172-pound black male, thought to be in his late teens or early 20s with a dark complexion and a short Afro, Westerfield said. He was found wearing elf-style Christmas slippers.

As of Sunday morning, authorities hadn’t released information about the cause or manner of his death. The case is being handled as a homicide until the manner of death has been established, Westerfield said.

Anyone with information about the male’s identity should call the Lake County/Gary Metro Homicide Unit at (219) 755-3855 or the crime tip line at (866) CRIME-GP.