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SALT LAKE CITY – A person living in a homeless camp set up in the front yard of a Salt Lake City man died early Sunday morning, according to the property owner and Salt Lake City police.
“Medical personnel were called to this camp this morning, just after six in the morning,” said Lt. Brian Sloan of the Salt Lake City Police Department. “When the doctor arrived, they found the 45-year-old woman in the tent who had died.”
Darin Mann, 31, resident of Salt Lake City opened its front yard to homeless people about a week ago in response to what he calls a “homeless crisis” in the city.
“I really wanted to create this space as a haven for people,” Mann said. “But it has become very clear to me that we have to find a lasting community solution.”
He plans to launch a GoFundMe campaign to build a small hometown village to help house the homeless.
“If we can find funds as a community, and we can start to come up with a community solution, then the city has to start moving forward with us in this endeavor,” Mann said emphatically.
Salt Lake City police said the woman’s cause of death was still under investigation by the medical examiner’s office, adding that the results were expected to be released in the coming days. Police are working with the Salt Lake County Department of Health to bring people living in Mann’s front yard to shelters.
“We are planning to send social workers to this area today to see if we can help the people camping there to see if we can provide them with shelter and transportation to get there,” Lt Sloan added.
Mann was convicted of a code violation last week after city officials received several complaints about the camp. He was ordered to clean it.
“I think there are a lot of health issues,” Lt. Sloan said. “Especially when you have a large group of people camping together like that. There are the health and safety issues, that’s where the health department comes in.”
“It’s just an absolute tragedy,” Mann said. “Knowing this woman has been a real blessing.”
Mann said he would work with city and county authorities to help people living on his property find shelter and other resources for the homeless. The Salt Lake County Department of Health has yet to respond to FOX 13’s request for comment on the matter.
This is a developing story. Updates will be added as they are received.
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