Posted 10:56 am Thursday, May 17, 2012
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Homeless Man Found Alive In Shed Passes Away At Hospital
By KELLY GOOCH
Staff Writer
Staff Writer
A homeless man found in critical condition earlier this week died Wednesday morning at a local hospital.
The man, identified through Jacksonville police records as 65-year-old Antonio Hernandez Melendez, was found about 10:40 a.m. Tuesday in a storage shed in the 600 block of North Bolton Street.
"Somebody called in and said they heard someone moaning and groaning, so we went over there and found a guy (in very bad condition)," Cherokee County Precinct 3 Constable Eddie Lee said.
Melendez was taken to East Texas Medical Center-Jacksonville, where he was pronounced dead shortly before 6 a.m. Wednesday.
Lee said residents indicated that Melendez was going in and out of the storage shed "quite a bit," but they hadn't seen him in a few days.
He didn't know how long Melendez lived in the storage shed or when he became homeless. However, he said Melendez at one time was taken to the hospital in relation to drinking rubbing alcohol. Melendez also has an arrest record for public intoxication.
As of Wednesday morning, Jacksonville police were waiting to see what his condition was and if he was going to survive.
Police Chief Reece Daniel said the department wanted to continue to try to find someone who would take care of him or find him a place to receive care such as The Salvation Army.
