A quiet stretch of Highbridge Park in Upper Manhattan turned into a homicide scene on Wednesday morning. Someone walking through the park came across a woman lying on a hiking trail near Amsterdam Avenue and West 174th Street. Police were called at around 9:20 a.m. and found her unconscious and unresponsive.
Emergency workers pronounced her dead right there. She has been identified as Doris Perez, a 41-year-old woman who was homeless. Since then, the medical examiner has ruled her death a homicide, and detectives are trying to work out who is responsible. Here is what is known so far and what still isn't.
Homicide Investigation Opened After Woman Found Dead on Highbridge Park Trail
The call that brought police to the park was routine on paper. Someone reported a person who needed medical attention. When officers arrived near West 174th Street and Amsterdam Avenue, they found Perez inside the park, lying face up on a hiking trail. She did not respond, and EMS workers could not save her.
Highbridge Park is a long, narrow park that stretches for nearly three miles between Washington Heights and Inwood, running alongside the Harlem River Drive. The spot where Perez was found is on the Amsterdam Avenue side, which is a more populated part of the park than some of its quieter corners. That detail matters, because it means people live, work, and walk close by.
At first, police described this only as a death that needed investigating. That changed once the medical examiner finished the exam. When a death is ruled a homicide, the case moves into a different phase. Detectives typically speak with witnesses, search the surrounding area for anything left behind, and try to piece together where the person was in the hours before she was found. Police have not said whether any surveillance cameras cover that part of the trail, which is one of the questions that could shape how quickly the case moves.
Medical Examiner Rules Death of Doris Perez, 41, in Upper Manhattan Park: A Homicide
The ruling came after the medical examiner looked into how Perez died. According to reporting from the New York Daily News, a puncture wound in her back caused her death. Police later confirmed the homicide ruling.
A homicide ruling can sound more dramatic than it is, so it helps to be clear about what it means. It says that another person caused the death. It does not, on its own, name a suspect or explain why it happened. Those answers are for detectives to find, and so far police have shared very little. There have been no arrests, and no motive has been made public.
Just as little has been shared about Perez herself. Police said she was homeless and 41 years old, and that is close to the full public record right now. It would be easy to fill in the blanks with guesses, but that would not be fair to her or to her family. She had a history, and there may be friends or relatives who are grieving. Her life was more than the few lines used to describe her in the first news reports. More of that may come to light as the case develops.
Anyone who knows something can help. Police are asking for tips through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477). People can also visit crimestoppers.nypdonline.org, use the NYPD Crime Stoppers mobile app, or text 274637 and then enter TIP577. Spanish-speaking callers can dial 1-888-57-PISTA (74782).
Rare Killing Rattles Washington Heights as Police Seek Answers in Park Death
One reason this case stands out is that killings are uncommon in this part of Upper Manhattan. According to Gothamist, which cited NYPD crime statistics, the 33rd Precinct, which covers the neighborhood and the park, recorded just one murder last year. Against that background, a death on a trail in the middle of a weekday morning is hard to ignore.
For people who use the park, news like this naturally raises questions. Parents who walk through with their kids and neighbors who cut across on the way to the subway may all be wondering the same thing. Was this a targeted attack, or could it happen to anyone? Police have not said, and until they do, it is best to avoid drawing conclusions. Guessing tends to spread rumors faster than facts.
There is also a wider point about people who live outdoors. Those who are homeless often spend their days and nights in places that are out of sight, which can leave them more exposed than most of us. Their deaths sometimes get less attention than they deserve. A case like this is a reminder that the safety of unhoused New Yorkers is a public concern, not only a matter for outreach workers and shelters.
For now, the investigation is ongoing. Detectives are still gathering information, and the public can help by sharing anything they saw or heard near Highbridge Park around the time Perez was found. Even a small detail can turn out to matter. If new facts emerge, such as an arrest or word from Perez's family, they will change how this story is understood. Until then, the most useful thing anyone can do is stay informed, look out for one another, and pass along tips through the proper channels.