Yonkers LODD

[Guest guest]

Homeless man is found frozen stiff in driveway

By CARRIE MELAGO

and JONATHAN LEMIRE

DAILY NEWS WRITERS

A homeless man was found dead in the driveway of a Bronx home yesterday

after apparently collapsing in the deep freeze that has engulfed the city

for days.

" His hands were like rocks, " said Schelzo, 33, whose mother found

the man in front of their Kingsbridge house. " They were frozen solid. He was

turning into an ice cube, that poor guy. "

The man, whose name was not released as police try to determine whether he

had any family, was spotted by 65-year-old Schelzo as she was taking

out the trash about 4 a.m.

" I was putting the garbage out and going back for second load when I heard a

thud, " she said. " The man was flat on his back. I thought he slipped. "

The Schelzos ran into the house to fetch blankets and a quilt to throw over

the man, who was wearing three sweatshirts, white work gloves and a hat -

but no coat. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Outreach teams have canvassed the city to encourage the homeless to seek

refuge from the cold in shelters, and 8,731 men and women stayed in them

Thursday night, officials said.

Markee, senior policy analyst for the Coalition for the Homeless,

said he thought the outreach was working.

" I think the biggest problem we've been seeing is the intake process, "

Markee said. " Rather than spend hours waiting for a bed, some people would

rather fend for themselves on the street. "

http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/155723p-136865c.html