Residents ‘on edge’ after body found in neighborhood pond

JONESBORO, Ark. (KAIT) - A family is mourning, and residents have questions after the body of a man was found in a neighborhood pond.

The Jonesboro Police Department released new details on the discovery Monday.

The person was identified as 45-year-old Felipe Morales Nava.

“This is very unsettling,” said a resident near the area the body was found.

A neighborhood described as quiet.

On a sunny Monday afternoon, all you can hear are birds chirping in the distance, but this quiet neighborhood took a turn when police sirens filled the streets one week ago.

“Which we thought was either an animal or a bag of garbage,” said a resident.

The Jonesboro Police Department said a body was found at the 900 block of Lakeshore Drive in Jonesboro.

“Concern and a little bit of confusion as to how this could happen,” said Paul Waits resident in the neighborhood.

I spoke with multiple residents that live in the neighborhood that are confused.

“So, it doesn’t seem to make sense how did this happen,” said one resident.

Some are on edge after the discovery.

“What happened, was the person killed and placed here? Was there a fight here? Or was this an accident, from someone in the wrong place at the wrong time,” said Waits.

Four days after the discovery through fingerprints, the Arkansas State Crime Lab identified the body.

The lab also noted no obvious signs of injuries or foul play. They ruled the death as an apparent drowning.

But some are confused about how the man drowned in what they say is a shallow pond.

“What is disturbing to us is, how did someone drown in our pond,” said a resident.

“So, yea we’ve walked by that little pond all the time,” said Waits.

Residents still have many questions as they try to move forward after this incident.

Residents said Nava’s family held a small prayer vigil at the location he was found.

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