Man found dead in vehicle in Austin is season’s 4th cold death

A man found in his vehicle last week in the West Side Austin neighborhood marks the fourth cold death of the season in Cook County.

Levon L. Wilson, 62, man was found unresponsive in his vehicle at 8:36 a.m. Dec. 26 in the 1000 block of North Mayfield, according to Chicago Police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

Wilson, who lived in the Humboldt Park neighborhood, was taken to West Suburban Medical Center in Oak Park, where he was pronounced dead at 9:05 a.m., according to the medical examiner’s office.

An autopsy Dec. 27 found he died of hypothermia from cold exposure, and his death was ruled an accident.

The third cold death of the season happened earlier this month in the Southwest Side Clearing neighborhood.

Tomas Ribskis, 75, was found dead inside a home in the 6900 block of West 64th Street at 10:52 a.m. on Dec. 15, according to the police and the medical examiner’s office.

Officers on patrol saw a large amount of mail in front of the home and recognized the address as having had a previous call for a well-being check, police said. After gaining entry to the home, officers learned it had no heat or running water.

Ribskis also died of hypothermia from cold exposure, and his death was ruled an accident, according to the medical examiner’s office.

The second cold death of the season happened Nov. 15 in the West Side Austin neighborhood.

Albert Lukas Jr., 62, was taken from the 1100 block of North Parkside Avenue to West Suburban Medical Center, where he died at 2:50 a.m., according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

Lukas, who lived at a different address in the same neighborhood, died of complications of hypothermia from cold exposure, according to the medical examiner’s office. Chronic substance abuse, pneumonia, heart disease and diabetes were listed as contributing factors, and his death was ruled an accident.

The first cold death of the season happened Oct. 23 in the Humboldt Park neighborhood on the West Side.

Amos Romon Marsh, 45, was pronounced dead at 8:51 a.m. in the 500 block of North Sawyer Avenue, according to the medical examiner’s office.

An autopsy found Marsh, who lived in the West Side North Lawndale neighborhood, died of chronic ethanolism, and cold exposure and heart disease were listed as contributing factors, according to the medical examiner’s office. His death was ruled an accident.

Last year, the first cold-related death of the winter season was reported Oct. 26. At least 27 cold-related deaths were reported last winter, according to authorities.