Queens

Teen Found Dead On Front Lawn of Her Queens Home

Video footage from a neighbor showing the teen chasing after her cat is the last time anyone saw or heard the 17-year-old alive

NBC Universal, Inc.

A 17-year-old girl was found dead on the front lawn of her Queens home Monday, and police are trying to piece together what may have happened to her.

On a private block of homes with manicured yards, the girl's body was found just after 1 a.m. in the usually quiet neighborhood of Fresh Meadows, police said.

A neighbor who lives next door told NBC New York that the family of Yixuan Yin moved into the home two years ago. While she didn't hear anything overnight, footage from the neighbor's surveillance camera was turned over to police.

"I saw on the footage that her cat went away and she went chasing after the cat," said neighbor Charlotte Wang.

The video footage is the last time anyone heard or saw the girl alive. Police said there were no apparent signs of trauma on Yin's body, and there were no obvious signs of foul play.

Police, who were still guarding the home Monday evening, are investigating all possible scenarios regarding Yin's death. The city's medical examiner will perform an autopsy to determine a cause of death, and to see if it was connected any crime or an accident.

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