Public Asked to Assist in Identifying Body of Man : Crime: The victim was found fatally shot beside the street in a Santa Ana residential neighborhood. His pockets were empty, investigators said.

SANTA ANA — Authorities are seeking public assistance in identifying a man found shot to death on Thanksgiving in the 2500 block of South Garnsey Street.

A shell casing was found beside the body, which was lying on the side of the road in a residential neighborhood, police said. Investigators believe he might have been shot at the scene, where he died at about 7 p.m.

Efforts to identify the man have led authorities through a maze of missing person reports and fingerprint records to no avail, said Cullen Ellingburgh, supervising deputy coroner.

“Without a positive identification,” Ellingburgh said, “it’s hard to find out who did it.”

Investigators described the victim as Latino between 40 and 50 years old with black hair, brown eyes and a small mustache. He was about 128 pounds and about 5 feet 5 inches tall, Ellingburgh said. He had a star-like scar on the left side of his lower torso and another scar on his chin, Ellingburgh said.

He wore a faded white T-shirt with multicolored stripes, blue pants and brown leather shoes. He also wore a silver metal band with a wave design on his left hand, Ellingburgh said. His pockets were empty.

Anyone with information should call (714) 647-7410.

In an unrelated case, La Palma police distributed flyers Wednesday at Orangethorpe Avenue and Valley View Street to request information about the hit-and-run death of a 73-year-old woman.

Maria Harrington of La Palma was struck by a truck about 5 p.m. Nov. 30 while crossing Orangethorpe Avenue in the southbound lanes, police said. She was died at UCI Medical Center. Anyone with information should call (714) 523-4552.