NEW HAVEN, Conn. — The homeless community in New Haven is hurting after a friend and fierce advocate of theirs was found dead outside of a soup kitchen early Monday morning.
Police say they got a call just after 5:22 a.m. on Monday from the Downtown Evening Soup Kitchen (DESK).
“They found an unconscious male on the sidewalk in front,” said Chief Karl Jacobson with the New Haven Police Department.
That man has since been identified as 36-year-old Keith Petrulis. He was pronounced dead on the scene and police closed off the area for hours as they investigated. At this point in that investigation, they do not believe it was a homicide, with Petrulis having known medical issues. However, they are treating it like all investigations, and working to figure out what happened.
“We investigate everything as suspicious, so we’re doing what we’d normally do. But everything is leading to some kind of medical emergency,” Jacobson said.
The medical examiner said the cause of death is “pending further studies.” Jacobson said they’re waiting for the toxicology report.
In the meantime, as the community learns about Petrulis’s death, their pain is growing stronger.
“It’s just a tragedy,” said Wayne Hutton, a friend of Keith’s.
Hutton has been homeless since 2019. He visits DESK often and started to see Petrulis there two years ago when he lost his home during the pandemic.
“It’s a great loss. Not only to the community but to an organization that tries to help the homeless,” Hutton said.
Petrulis was part of the creation of U-ACT (Unhoused Community Activist Team) last year. He’s been a fierce advocate for them ever since.
“He was an incredibly bright light. He made New Haven a far better place. And yeah, he was easy to love,” said Billy Bromage, a member of U-ACT and housed ally.
Though the cause of death for Petrulis is not known, if it was related to medical issues, Bromage feels the system failed him.
“I mean, Keith was out here struggling every single day. And if somebody’s got health conditions, they should not be out sleeping every single day,” Bromage said.
It’s a problem New Haven’s Mayor Justin Elicker said they’re working hard on. The city just announced that they’re working to convert a hotel into temporary housing for individuals experiencing homelessness. Plus, they’re starting a new pop-up initiative to get resources out to people who need them.
However, Elicker recognizes more needs to be done.
“To think that we might have lost someone because they didn’t have access to the proper resources is tragic and just underscores the very thing that Keith was advocating for,” Elicker said. “That we need more support for the most vulnerable, we need emergency housing, we need more affordable housing. And this is an emergency and we all need to, not just in New Haven but in surrounding Connecticut communities do more to support our most vulnerable.
The Executive Director of DESK, Steve Werlin, said they are working on planning a special memorial service for Petrulis for the end of the month.
In a post on LinkedIn, Werlin said, “Friends, my heart is broken today, as we're all struggling to process Keith's sudden and unexpected passing this morning. New Haven has lost a burgeoning leader. As our clients, staff, and community begin the grieving process, I know that there will be much more to say in the coming weeks and months about this tragedy, the extent to which it was avoidable, and what meaning we can find in his story. Keith will continue to inspire us all, and me personally. May his memory be a blessing.”
Julia LeBlanc is a reporter at FOX61 News. She can be reached at jleblanc@fox61.com Follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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