Residents concerned for their safety after body found in trashcan near Detroit park

Residents worry after body was found in trash can in Detroit park

Police continue to investigate after they found a body in a trashcan in a park in Detroit near 8 Mile Road and I-75. Now, people who live nearby say they are concerned for their safety.

DETROIT (FOX 2) - A discovery left a Detroit neighborhood in shock after police found a body in a trashcan on Omira Street near 8 Mile Road across from Knudsen Park.

Now, some of the people like Teresa Ligi who lives in that area and visits Knudsen Park frequently are worried about their own safety.

"We’re not prostitutes, we just do things that we have to do for money," said Ligi. "That could have been me, I think it was someone who was picked up and thrown away."

Detroit Police told FOX 2 the incident is under investigation, and as police search for answers, the street team from Detroit Recovery Project is working to improve the lives of those in the area.

"My clients are expressing their concerns for their safety," said Brittani Tringali from the Detroit Recovery Project.

The project operates the mobile harm reduction unit. Many of their clients are homeless, some engage in drugs and other illegal activities, and they often come to this park.

"What we do is try to reduce the harm that these individuals are doing to themselves," she said. "We provide safe drugs using supplies, hygiene products, food, water."

Police do not know the sex of the person found or the circumstances surrounding their death, but Ligi has concerns for her safety.

"These men are picking up women and murdering them, raping them and throwing them away," she said.

As the investigation continues, Teresa and her friends hope the suspect is caught and justice prevails.

"We are like a community. We do try to look out for each other," she said.

Meanwhile, Tringali is also looking out for this community, helping them to get out of harm’s way. She said she is proof that support programs work.

"I’ve been in recovery free from drugs and alcohol since Jan. 24, 2017 and started my journey with a 12-step program," she said. "I’m just here to serve this population with love, empathy and compassion that every human being deserves."

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