Man found on Belmont Heights porch is Cook County’s 26th cold death this season

A man found unresponsive on a porch Friday night in the Northwest Side Belmont Heights neighborhood is Cook County’s 26th cold-related death of the season.

Armin Clemens Stockdreher, 58, was found about 9:45 p.m. on a rear porch in the 3800 block of North Oconto, according to Chicago Police and the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office. A neighbor saw the man on the porch and called 911 when he wouldn’t respond.

Stockdreher was taken to Community First Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at 9:40 a.m. Sunday, authorities said. He lived in the same block he was found unresponsive.

An autopsy found the man died of chronic ethanolism, with hypothermia due to cold exposure contributing, the medical examiner’s office said. His death was ruled an accident.

At least 25 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 deaths reported last winter.