Police are investigating after the unidentified woman was discovered Wednesday afternoon in a parking lot near Plumb Beach.
NEW YORK CITY, NY — A woman was found dead inside a trash can Wednesday afternoon in a parking lot near Plumb Beach in Brooklyn’s Sheepshead Bay area, prompting police to spend hours examining the scene and gathering evidence.
Police said someone called 911 shortly after 3 p.m. Sept. 16 to report an unresponsive woman. Officers and emergency medical personnel responded to the parking lot, where the woman was pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities had not released her name, age or other identifying information as of early Thursday.
The circumstances surrounding the woman’s death remained unclear. Authorities had not announced an apparent cause of death or said whether there were visible signs of trauma. The New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner will determine the cause and manner of death.
Investigators remained at the Plumb Beach parking lot for hours Wednesday. Detectives examined the trash can and collected items from the area while part of the parking lot was secured with police tape. The woman’s body was later removed by the medical examiner’s office.
Police had not classified the death as a homicide as of early Thursday. Investigators were working to determine how the woman died and whether a crime was committed. No arrests had been announced in connection with the discovery.
Plumb Beach sits along the Belt Parkway near Sheepshead Bay and Gerritsen Creek. The shoreline is part of Gateway National Recreation Area and includes a parking lot, kayak launch, tidal mudflats, salt marshes, dunes and other coastal habitat, according to the National Park Service.
The beach is also used for activities including windsurfing, kiteboarding and kayaking. Its parking area provides vehicle access to a relatively isolated stretch of shoreline along southern Brooklyn.
The woman’s identity remained unknown Thursday, and authorities had not released information about how long she may have been at the location or how she came to be inside the trash can. The investigation remains ongoing pending identification of the woman and findings from the medical examiner.
Author note: Last updated September 17, 2026.