'Apparent Homicide' Investigated In Dartmouth After Man Found Dead On Side Of Road

DARTMOUTH (CBS) -- Authorities are investigating an "apparent homicide" in Dartmouth that occurred late Monday night or early Tuesday morning. Bristol County District Attorney Thomas Quinn's office said a driver spotted a man on the ground on the side of Horseneck Road just after 5 a.m.

When paramedics and officers arrived on scene, they determined the man was dead. He has been identified as 27-year-old Jose Cortez Cornejo of New Bedford. "Based upon evidence gathered during the preliminary investigation, it is believed he is the victim of a homicide," Quinn's office said.

The state's Medical Examiner will perform an autopsy in the coming days. There was no immediate information on how the man may have died.

Some neighbors who did not want to be on camera told WBZ-TV they heard several gunshots at roughly 11:30 Monday night.

"We've felt pretty upset all day long," said Jim Hanrahan, who said he heard nothing, until he walked down his driveway Tuesday morning to find a swarm of police, and the body not far from his mailbox. "You hear about it a lot, but you never see it. And here it is."

Neighbor Lory Vargas had set out on her daily run only to be stopped by a police roadblock and lots of questions. "Where do you live? Why do you need to go back there? Why were you out at this time? Did you hear anything? And I thought, alright this is not as harmless as I'm hoping it is," Vargas said. "It freaks me out because it's super quiet here all the time."

Anyone who was in the area of 180 Horseneck Road between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. is asked to contact police if they have any information.