Man found in Little Village is Cook County’s 18th cold death this season

A man found dead Monday in the Southwest Side Little Village neighborhood is Chicago’s 18th cold-related death this season.

Porforia Valezquez-Cruz, 56, was found just after 9 a.m. Monday in the 3100 block of South California, according to Chicago Police and the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office. He was pronounced dead at the scene and seemed to be intoxicated at the time of his death.

An autopsy Tuesday found Valezquez-Cruz, who lived in Little Village, died of ethanol toxicity, with cold exposure listed as a contributing factor, the medical examiner’s office said. His death was ruled an accident.

At least 17 other people have died of cold-related causes in Cook County since Oct. 23, 2017, according to records maintained by the Chicago Sun-Times. There were at least 27 cold-related deaths reported last winter.