Body of woman from Bush Park recovered in Sunset Park

Police are working to identify the body of a woman they say they recovered from the water at Bush Park in Sunset Park on Sunday morning. A cause of death investigation is underway to determine if the body recovered at 7:57 a.m. was killed in the park or at another location. Sunset Park residents told News 12 they were shocked to hear of the body’s recovery in the park. They say they have seen increasing violence in the area in recent years, as well as suspicious activity in the park. “I feel less safe knowing that a woman was found in the water a block and a half from my house. I’m worried about my girlfriend,” said resident Antonio Garcia. Garcia added he would like to see more police presence in the park at night and that the park’s lights should be on at sunset. He claims many of the lights in the park are no longer functional. “There are no patrols in this park at night. It’s just an empty area,” he said. Others at the park said they were shocked to see the caution tape in an area where parents often walk their dogs or young children. They added that there are areas in the park that residents know not to be in. “There’s like a part of the new building where the path goes into the trees and I always see trash and I think there are tents there, so I try not to be there,” said resident Sophia Chan. Chan said she would never go to the park at night and doesn’t feel comfortable on the shore near the water. “When I was there at night, I had to call 911 several times,” she said. Police had not released the victim’s identity as of Sunday evening while they tried to contact her family.