A mentally disabled 25-year-old man was found stranded with his father’s decomposing body inside a trash-filled room in Brooklyn Wednesday, according to neighbors and the FDNY.
The older man’s lifeless body was found inside a single-family home on Brighton Seventh St. near Ocean View Ave. in Brighton Beach shortly before 11 a.m., fire officials said.
The home where he was found had been subdivided into roughly a dozen apartments spread across the house’s two floors. Sintokh Singh, a 55-year-old neighbor who lives in the house, said he called 911 after the smell coming from the dead man’s unit became unbearable.
“For the last two or three days he didn’t come out of the room,” Singh said. “The smell was bad, really bad.”
Rescuers found the son trapped with his dead dad’s body after forcing open their apartment door, Singh said.
“There was so much garbage inside, when they broke the door in, his son’s head popped out from all the trash,” said Singh. “He was scared. He hadn’t eaten in a couple of days.”
“It was all garbage and bottles. There was no room inside. Just garbage and bottles.”
Medics transported the 25-year-old autistic man to South Brooklyn Health for treatment, according to fire officials. His condition was not immediately clear.
Singh said the man lived alone with his disabled son, who required round-the-clock care and supervision.
“His son was very disabled,” the neighbor said. “He cannot speak, he cannot change his diaper. His father has to shower him. His father has to do it all for him.”
“(My neighbor) was a very friendly guy,” Singh added. “He loved his son. his whole life was his son.”