North Little Rock neighbor alarmed at city's 8th homicide of 2019

NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KATV) — Paula Eckles' time living along Clark Street in North Little Rock goes back more than two decades and never has she been aware of any murder taking place in the area.

"We really don't have a lot of crime in these two blocks simply because the daycare center is a block from the house," Eckles said.

North Little Rock police are investigating the city's eighth homicide of 2019 that happened just before 2 a.m. on Saturday.

Police initially responded to a disturbance call at the 1500 block of west Broadway when an officer discovered a male body in the street at the 200 block of North Clark Street.

First responders pronounced the male black victim dead at the scene. Authorities say the victim had obvious signs of trauma.

Eckles has her own suspicions of what may have unfolded. She's familiar with such violent crime happening in other North Little Rock neighborhoods but not hers.

The body was discovered next to a church-run daycare center and near the North Little Rock School District bus storage facility.

"I am sad that it happened and I'm really sad about the family, whoever the family is but there's nothing I can say about people coming in here from various ares and then doing various things. We just have to pray," Eckles said.

The victim's body was transported to the Arkansas State Crime Lab to determine the official cause of death.