Arrest Made In Probe Into Death Of 26-Year-Old Found In Van At Disabled Facility: NYSP

TOWN OF HYDE PARK, NY — An arrest has been made in the death of the resident of a Hudson Valley developmental disability center, after a grand jury handed down an indictment.

The New York State Police have provided an update about the investigation into the death of a 26-year-old resident at a Dutchess County developmental disability center last summer.

Police say that an autopsy conducted by the Dutchess County Medical Examiner's Office determined the cause of death to be environmental heat exposure.

On Wednesday, 66-year-old Owen Ekpo, of Poughkeepsie, was arrested and charged with felony criminally negligent homicide, following an indictment by a Dutchess County grand jury. He was arraigned in Dutchess County Court and remanded to the Dutchess County Justice and Transition Center.

SEE ALSO:

• ID Of 26-Year-Old Found Dead In Van At Disabled Facility Released By Authorities
• Death Of 26-Year-Old At NY Facility For Disabled Probed

State police released the identity last summer of 26-year-old Thomas Anderson, a resident at New Horizons in Hyde Park, after he was found dead inside a parked transportation van owned by the agency, on August 4.

According to its website, the agency serves individuals with developmental disabilities.

The New York State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation, along with the Dutchess County District Attorney's Office investigated the circumstances surrounding Anderson's death.