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Mother found dead next to SUV in New Tampa neighborhood as toddler slept inside

Tampa police said it doesn't appear the woman lived in the neighborhood where she was found. Officers are asking for tips from the public.

TAMPA, Fla. — Tampa police are searching for answers after a woman was found dead next to an SUV with her young son sleeping inside.

Police said in a news release they were called just after 10 p.m. Monday to the area of Pictorial Park Drive in the Easton Park subdivision of New Tampa. They said they received reports of a woman lying on the ground on a residential street. 

"This person went with their gut instinct and knew something was off and called 911, and we're thankful for that," Crystal Clark, spokesperson for TPD, said. "Unfortunately, when police arrived, we located that woman deceased, and a baby under the age of two sitting in a car seat and asleep at the time."

The car was a Ford EcoSport SUV. Next to the SUV was his mother, a woman in her 20s. She was dead and had "upper body trauma," police said. 

The child was not hurt and is in the care of a relative, Tampa police said. 

A neighbor near where the incident took place said his ring camera captured the audio of the event. Popping noises can be heard, followed by his dogs barking.

"From my side camera, you can't really see anything because of the density of the darkness but you can hear, immediately, when that first pop occurs," Richard Theodore said. "Both of my puppies run towards the side gate."

Police have not specified the type of injuries sustained or if a gun was involved. 

"At this point, we're saying her injuries are upper body trauma," Clark said. "I can tell you that when she was laying on the ground, she had been deceased for quite some time."

Homicide detectives said they are "actively investigating" what happened and are speaking with neighbors. However, they noted it doesn't appear the woman lives in the neighborhood. 

Anyone with information about this homicide is asked to call the Tampa Police Department at 813-231-6130 or share a tip through TIP411, which can be found through the TampaPD app, the agency said in a news release. 

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