Homeless Man Found Stabbed to Death on Carlsbad Doorstep

A homeless man stabbed in the neck early Saturday was found dead on the doorstep of a Carlsbad house where he had gone to seek help, authorities said.

The victim, described as a white male in his early 40s, was found about 8:30 a.m., slouched against the entrance to the home in the 1800 block of Forest Avenue. His identity was not released pending notification of relatives.

Police said they believe the man had tried to ring the doorbell. He was discovered when the homeowner went to feed his dog.

“The resident opened the door and there he was,” Lt. Greg Fried said. “There was a great deal of blood all over the place. Investigators just followed the blood trail back to the scene of the crime.”

Authorities said they believe the man was stabbed at a homeless encampment in a nearby eucalyptus grove and then crawled up to the housing development a quarter of a mile away.

“It was a steep embankment,” Fried said. “He must have crawled or walked up the thing. Some of the people in the development knew this guy, so maybe he was looking for someone in particular to help him.”

Investigators said Saturday they have no suspects but are interviewing residents of the homeless camp. They had not ruled out robbery as a motive.