Man found dead in Alexandria playground

ALEXANDRIA, Va. - Police found a man's body in an Alexandria park on Monday morning, and they are now calling it a homicide.

According to neighbors, a woman was walking her dog around 8 a.m. Monday when she saw the body in a playground at Beverly Park. Police said the victim was 24-year-old Jose Luis Ferman Perez from Alexandria. The cause of death was trauma to the upper body.

Detectives went door-to-door, talking to neighbors to see if anyone might have heard anything suspicious. Their investigation has centered on the sandbox area of the playground. Earlier Monday, police conducted a grid search to look for evidence.

Neighbors tell FOX 5's Emily Miller that they are scared. Via text message, one parent said the violence brought chills down her spine.