A good Samaritan was found dead in Arizona after he offered to help a man on Monday who claimed to be having car trouble, authorities said.
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department identified the victim Thursday as Paul Clifford, 53.
A woman who identified herself as Clifford’s daughter said in an online fundraiser that her father disappeared Monday after he left his house at 11:30 p.m. to help a “stranger with a stranded vehicle.”
He didn’t return home, said the woman, Sabrina Vining, and was later found dead.
The sheriff’s office said Clifford’s body was found near a smoldering vehicle northeast of Tucson. The department did not provide a cause or manner of death.
Authorities were initially dispatched to the area on a report of suspicious activity, the department said. They determined the report was likely linked to a stolen vehicle that was later found at an apartment complex, according to a statement.
A department spokesperson would not provide the location of the complex.
No suspects were identified and no arrests have been made in Clifford’s death, the department said, adding that the investigation remains active.
In the fundraiser, Vining said her family was deeply saddened by her father’s death.
“He was a gentle giant with a huge, caring heart,” she said.
