Thomas Breen file photo
Chief Jacobson: Mendez's death was an "isolated incident."
Police have opened a homicide investigation into the death of 35-year-old New Havener Naysha Mendez, whom officers found suffering from “multiple wounds” in Evergreen Cemetery Friday night.
The New Haven Police Department sent out an email press release at 12:13 a.m. Saturday about that incident.
The press release states that, at 7:50 p.m. Friday, New Haven police officers responded to Evergreen Cemetery at 769 Ella T. Grasso Blvd. “for a report of a suspicious death. Upon arrival, they located a female who was deceased. … The incident is being investigated as a homicide.”
On Monday, Police Chief Karl Jacobson identified the victim as Mendez.
“The condition of the body” indicates that Mendez died by homicide, Jacobson said, while declining to go into further detail beyond saying that she suffered from “multiple wounds.”
He said that Mendez’s body was found in the dirt path in the center of the cemetery, not far from the crematorium. “We’re investigating whether she was killed there or she was left there” after being killed, he said.
A press release sent out Monday afternoon stated that, “Based on the number of wounds to Ms. Mendez’s body, it was evident to investigators that this was a homicide.” That press release also states that an autopsy by the medical examiner’s office ruled that the manner of death was a homicide.
Jacobson said that police have “collected a significant amount of evidence” already, and believe this was an “isolated incident” unrelated to any other deaths in New Haven. He also said police have not yet recovered a weapon connected to this case.
Police ask that anyone who may have witnessed this incident or who may have information valuable to investigators to call detectives at 203 – 946-6304 or through the department’s anonymous tip-line at 866 – 888-TIPS (8477).
Mendez’s death marks the city’s seventh homicide so far this year.