The Coronado Police Department confirmed the identity of a man found dead in bushes along Silver Strand Boulevard last week.
Police say pedestrians found the body of 47-year-old Adrian Zepeda on the evening of Nov. 26.
Michelle Albanez, an employee of a 7-Eleven in Imperial Beach, told NBC 7 Zepeda was a regular customer who she described as a "great father and role model to his children."
Police said Zepeda was the victim of a suspicious death. Albanez was shocked when she learned the news.
"The poor guy," she said. "I feel bad for him, I feel bad for his family, and I wanted to at least contribute something, even though it wasn't a lot, but every little bit does help."
A man who identified himself as Zepeda's step-son set up a Go-Fund-Me page for Zepeda's children.
CPD Captain Laszlo Waczek said pedestrians noticed something strange in the bushes at around 3:30 p.m.
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Police had concerns that the man's death wasn't natural and determined his death was suspicious soon after.
According to Waczek, Medical Examiner's office staff noticed there was trauma to the man's chest. Officials did not specify details of the trauma.
Some of the victim's clothes were found scattered around the area, Chief Waczek said.
San Diego County Sheriff's Department homicide investigators assisted the CPD in the death investigation.
No other information was available.
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