Man Beaten to Death With Tree Limb in Forest Park: Police

The 23-year-old man found dead in a wooded area of Queens was apparently beaten in the head with a tree limb, police say.

The body of Diego Piedrahita was found in the area of Forest Park Drive and Woodhaven Boulevard in Forest Park at about 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, according to police. A parkgoer came across the body underneath a bridge and by some abandoned train tracks.

It's not clear how long he had been dead; police say he was unconscious and unresponsive, and had trauma to the head. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The medical examiner ruled the cause of death to be blunt trauma, and authorities later said the Queens man was likely killed with a tree limb.

The area where the body was found doesn’t appear to be a designated path, but the elevated roadway above it is heavily used by parkgoers who say the discovery has them a little spooked.

“It’s surprising, it makes me feel not so safe here,” a parkgoer named Rex said.

Others say the incident has them on guard.

“I try to take precautions, I typically don’t come here late at night,” Christopher Caviedes said.

Police say they are looking to question a 44-year-old man who goes by the names Zoltan Forai or Stephen Aka Forai, who possibly frequents the bandshell area at the park. 

Authorities released a photo of the man and ask that anyone with information call Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS.

--Checkey Beckford contributed to this report.

Contact Us