DINUBA – A homeless man was found dead on the front lawn of a residence in east Dinuba, marking the third homicide in the city this year.

Dinuba police identified the victim as 38-year-old Eliazar Huerta, who they termed as unhoused. Huerta was found shortly after 6:15 a.m. on July 11 in the 300 block of South California Street, near East Park Way west of Roosevelt Park after police received a report of a man sleeping on a front lawn.

Huerta was dead at the scene and appeared to have suffered trauma to the head, according to police. Huerta did not live at the residence where his body was discovered, and police said there is no apparent connection between him and the residence.

The Dinuba Police Department is treating the incident as a homicide. Anyone with any information about Huerta or the incident is asked to contact the Dinuba Police Department at 559-591-5911, or they can remain anonymous by calling 559-591-TIP1 (8471).

Huerta’s death marks the second homicide incident in the city, and is the third victim. On Jan. 8, 15-year-old Juan Viveros was killed and 16-year-old Nicholas Aldaz Martinez was critically wounded after a shooting incident at Dickey Park. Nicholas died two days later.