PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A partially decomposed body was found in the trunk of a car at an auto shop in Southwest Philadelphia Friday afternoon.
Frederick Safo, owner of S&O Auto Service on the 2300 block of South 63rd Street, says it was the shock of his life when he discovered the body during a routine auto service.
A Silver Nissan Maxima was the fourth car he was expected to work on that day. It was brought in because the car, which was stolen in November, could not be unlocked.
Safo said when police found the stolen car, they towed it to a recovery lot, where no one looked inside of it.
When the owner got the car back and brought it to Safo, he had to hotwire it to get in and, while he was inside, he smelled something “very funky,” similar to fish or something rotten.
He said as soon as they opened the trunk they discovered a dead body and called the police.
Police contacted the owner, who was not aware of the body inside the trunk. The car is now in police custody.
Police have not yet identified the body inside the car but believe it was a man in his late 30s.