Police in D.C. have identified the man who was found dead at a park near the White House, and they have arrested a person who they said was seen on video surveillance striking the victim with a metal pole.
Michael Jones’ body was discovered Wednesday morning by a jogger, who flagged down a U.S. Secret Service officer. Police believed that Jones, 52, who is homeless, was killed by another homeless man, Daniel Simon, 41. Simon has been arrested on a charge of second-degree murder.
D.C. police reviewed U.S. Secret Service video and saw that Jones laid down and was inside a sleeping bag behind a fenced area around 2 a.m. on the 200 block of 15th Street Northwest. Simon was seen just after 6:30 a.m. in the area.
Video showed Simon picking up what appeared to be a metal pole and swinging it up and down in a striking motion, where Jones was lying on the ground, court documents said.
After dropping the pole, Simon headed north on 15th Street, then turned around and walked south toward Constitution Avenue. He was also seen sitting on a park bench on the 1500 block of Constitution Avenue for some 40 minutes.
A Secret Service officer recognized Jones as someone who hung out in the area. That same officer located Simon, who matched a lookout description and who the officer recalled seeing with Jones on Tuesday. Another Secret Service officer confirmed that Jones and Simon were part of a group of people experiencing homelessness in the area, court documents said.
Police said Jones had trauma to his face. Court documents said that Simon’s clothing had blood stains on it, and that police tried to interview him but it did not appear that he understood the questions being asked and detectives did not understand his responses.
