Man found dead on sidewalk in Petaluma

Police are investigating a death in downtown Petaluma after a passer-by called 911 Tuesday evening to report an unresponsive man lying on the sidewalk.

Sgt. Ed Crosby said the man was found in plain view next to 24 Hour Fitness on the corner of B Street and Petaluma Boulevard.

The passer-by called at about 7:30 p.m., but it was unclear how long the man had been lying there. Crosby said it’s a high-traffic area in the middle of downtown.

“He’s known to us. He’s a local homeless guy,” Crosby said.

The man had an injury on his head, but it was unclear if there was any foul play involved. “It would be premature to conclude that this injury was the result of a homicide, however we can’t discount it as a homicide. It could be,” he said.

An autopsy has been scheduled for Friday.

Crosby said this is the eighth transient death in the city this year and the 21st transient death since 2010.