Man Found Killed In Harlem Car Was Dealing Drugs: Report

HARLEM, NY — The man found dead inside a car on a Harlem street Sunday was dealing drugs, police believe, according to a report.

At a news conference on Tuesday, officials said that the street where the victim, Omar Espinal, 39, was found Sunday evening, is a known hotspot for selling illicit drugs, reports the Daily News.

According to officials, at about 6 p.m. on Sunday, an SUV circled the block before double parking behind Espinal's car in West 135th Street between Broadway and Riverside Drive for several minutes, said NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny according to the Daily News.

The suspect — who officials noted is still at large — then exits his car and "walks up to the passenger side of the car, opens the door, reaches in, there’s a struggle and shots fired,” Kenny said.

Officials added that Espinal had a criminal history, including eight prior arrests and a federal case a decade ago for possession of cocaine with intent to sell, the Daily News reported, and was released on parole in 2020.

When Espinal was discovered after the shooting Sunday, first responders rushed him to Mount Sinai Morningside, but emergency room doctors were unable to save the man's life, according to the NYPD.