Autopsy pending: No sign of foul play in Cotulla man’s death, investigators say

The discovery of a man’s body in the front yard of a home on Alta Vista Street on the east side of Cotulla Friday evening, July 11, has resulted in a statement from sheriff’s investigators that they have found “no outward signs” of foul play in the death.
Emergency responders were dispatched to the scene at around 7 p.m. Friday after a local resident made a 911 call regarding a man lying on the ground. La Salle County sheriff’s deputies arrived to find 55-year-old Jesus Alvarado unresponsive. Officers began cardio-pulmonary resuscitation and summoned medics from the La Salle Fire Rescue, who took over attempts to revive the man.
A report from the sheriff’s office indicates that no CPR attempts proved successful and Alvarado was pronounced dead at the scene.
During the hours after the man’s death, officers learned Alvarado had indicated to friends and family earlier that day that he believed someone intended to harm him.
“The subject had undergone some treatment recently, and he had no fixed address,” Sgt. Investigator Homar Olivarez said this week. “He had spoken to friends and family, and had expressed some unspecified fears, but we believe some witnesses doubted the soundness of his reasoning.”
Investigators have examined the scene where Alvarado died in the 800 block of Alta Vista and “from a full physical observation of the body” have determined that there were no signs of foul play, Sgt. Olivarez said.
The body has been delivered to the Webb County Medical Examiner’s Office in Laredo for an autopsy.
“We expect the autopsy to reveal what caused this man’s death,” Olivarez said. “He exhibited no obvious signs of trauma. We also hope that toxicology results will answer some of our questions.”
The sergeant is joined by Sgt. Investigator Esmeralda Gonzalez in examining the case.
“We are looking at all aspects of this,” Sgt. Olivarez said, “and we are bearing in mind that it was a hot day, and Alvarado was outdoors. He was in the front yard of a home belonging to family members, and they were not there.”