The man was discovered on the sidewalk, unresponsive with blunt force trauma to the head.
He did not have any identification on him, and police are not releasing his name. They will only say he was 71 years old.
Residents who live nearby say there was a stepped up police presence in the area about a month ago after a series of crimes.
"Last month or so there was an attempted rape in Inwood, and muggings on a path," resident Bill Smith said.
An autopsy is being performed to determing the cause of death.
