The Valencia police found the remains of an elderly man who had passed away about 15 years ago in his home following Storm Alice causing flooding in his apartment building. The deceased, identified as Antonio F, a retired bricklayer born in 1936, was last seen by neighbors in 2010 in the six-story building on Luis Fenollet Street. Firefighters made the grim discovery after water leaked into the residence of an 81-year-old woman living below.
Access to the sixth-floor apartment was only possible via a ladder from a high-rise vehicle due to the flooding. Upon entering, firefighters encountered a chaotic scene with droppings, deceased pigeons, and sand up to two feet high, along with leaks from the terrace. Antonio’s skeletal remains were found in the bedroom, while additional bones were uncovered in the living room, possibly carried there by pigeons.
Although the Homicide Unit is leading the investigation, no foul play is suspected as the house was secured from the inside. The deceased’s body has been sent to Valencia’s Institute of Forensic Medicine for further examination. The son of the woman below alerted authorities after water leaked into his mother’s home, leading to the discovery of Antonio’s remains.
Antonio, who had separated from his wife and had no contact with his sons, went unnoticed for years as rent and utility bills were consistently paid. Following Storm Alice’s heavy rains in the region, the tragic finding sheds light on the aftermath of the natural disaster in an area previously affected by a powerful storm in 2024, which claimed many lives.