One man is dead and another is in custody after a fight in a parking lot in Surrey early Thursday morning.

The city's first homicide of 2020 occurred just before 1 a.m. PT outside a strip mall at 75A Avenue and Scott Road, in the city's Strawberry Hill neighbourhood.

When RCMP arrived, a suspect had already left the scene and a man was found dead in the parking lot. Police say "multiple" witnesses saw the fight happen, and one followed the suspect from a distance to update police on his location.

The suspect, a 33-year-old man, was taken into custody. A weapon police say was "possibly" used was also found.

The Integrated Homicide Investigative Team has been called in to investigate.

A tent obscures a vehicle in a Surrey neigbourhood parking lot where the city's first homicide of 2020 occurred. (Shane MacKichan)

The victim has not been identified and police have yet to determine whether the suspect and victim knew each other. The suspect is not believed to have ties to gangs or drug trafficking, IHIT said in a release.

Police are also trying to determine if anyone else was involved.

Anyone who witnessed the fight or who has more information about the incident is asked to contact IHIT at 1-877-551-4448 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.