Advertisement Man trying to steal wheels found dead under van that fell on him in Homewood, police say Share Shares Copy Link Copy

A man who had apparently tried to steal wheels from a van was found dead Tuesday morning in Homewood, with the vehicle on top of him, authorities said.The van was parked in a lot in the 7100 block of Kelly Street. A hole had been cut in a chain-link fence near the vehicle's parking spot, and a broken piece of wood and a concrete block were sitting on the ground next to the left rear wheel well.Stay updated with breaking news: Download the WTAE mobile app"According to the investigation, it is believed the male victim was attempting to steal the wheels from a van when the vehicle fell on top of him," said a statement from the Pittsburgh Public Safety Department."It's just a lot to think about, you know?" said Amargie Davis, director of Community Empowerment Association, the organization that owns the van. "This person lost their life like that. There's no one to help, so if he was suffering, he was just there in the cold all night."Community Empowerment Association provides afterschool programs for children, workshops and job training for adults. Davis said the man could have simply come to their door if he needed help. "It's really hard for us to deal with this, that somebody from our community was that desperate to take the tires and now his life is gone," she said.The man has not yet been identified.Davis said a maintenance worker found the body upon arriving to work in the morning."At 8 o'clock, we unlocked the gate this morning. When he unlocked the gate, there was a body laying up under the van," Davis said. "He touched the person, and there was no response. At that time, we called the police right away."City detectives and the medical examiner were continuing to investigate as they tried to determine the time of the man's death.