Dead man sits on balcony for days, neighbors think he’s Halloween decoration

A 75-year-old Marina del Ray man sat dead on a balcony from a gunshot wound to the head for several days before anyone thought to contact police.

The body was in full view of neighbors, who saw the body of Mostafa Mahmoud Zayed as early as Monday of last week but did not alert authorities to the apparent suicide. The grisly scene on the balcony did not alarm residents, as they believed it was part of a Halloween display. Authorities finally were called to the scene Thursday to attend to the body of a quiet neighbor described by fellow residents as “sweet and gentle.”

A cameraman who responded to the scene said that what might appear to be apathy was actually understandable:

“The body was in plain view of the entire apartment complex [and] they all didn’t do anything,” Raishbrook said. “It’s very strange. It did look unreal, to be honest.”

Police declined further comment on the incident and have not yet confirmed Zayed’s cause of death.