Philadelphia police officers found a dismembered body stuffed in a trash bag in the back of a U-Haul truck while responding to a call in Northeast Philadelphia Thursday morning.
The discovery was made as the rental vehicle was stopped along Sanibel Street in the Somerton section after officers responded around 9 a.m., police said.
Sources told NBC10 someone first called police on Wednesday reporting they were worried about a man who lived inside a nearby home on Sanibel. Police responded for a welfare check but were told by a neighbor that the man often traveled.
That same neighbor called police on Thursday and said they spotted a suspicious U-Haul truck near the home. Responding police officers stopped the truck and found a driver and passenger inside. When they checked the back of the truck, they found the dismembered body of a man in the trash bag as well as a weapon, according to investigators.
Get Philly local news, weather forecasts, sports and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC Philadelphia newsletters.
Later on during the night, police found more body parts at a dumpster near a Wawa a few blocks away, according to a source.
Police have not released the victim's identity but believe he lived in the home on Sanibel Street, sources told NBC10. Neighbors described him as a gentle and kind man who sold honey and gave odd jobs to young men to help them out.
"He raises bees," Threse Pelbano, a neighbor, told NBC10. "He has animals in the house. He's never given anyone any trouble."
Local
Breaking news and the stories that matter to your neighborhood.
Police found several animals inside the home, including dogs, lizards and parrots. They are waiting for Animal Control to get the animals out of the house.
The driver and passenger of the U-Haul were taken into police custody. No charges have been filed.
