“It was the pest control guy who caught the smell and opened it up and found an older man inside,” Chavez said. “It was definitely not a kid but an older gentleman with like a nine-inch foot. The pest control guy who found it first, I was the second guy. He was here but he went home, I guess it was too much for him.”
Police from the 104th Precinct responded to a 911 call just before 9 a.m. at P.S./I.S. 113, the Anthony Pranzo School, at 78-23 87th St. in Glendale. The corpse was removed by the city’s Office of the Chief Medical Examiner which will determine the cause of death.
Crime scene investigators from the 104th Precinct were seen on the rooftop of the school on Tuesday afternoon. The remains may have belonged to a contractor who was working on a construction project at the school, according to a law enforcement source, though it is unclear if that is the case this early into the investigation.
There were no students or staff at the school after summer recess began after classes on Friday.
Glendale resident George Perez said his 11-year-old daughter Hazel is a student at the school.
“She got a few phone calls this morning that a dead body was found in her school, so we decided to come and see for ourselves,” Perez said. “The guy must have been dead for days. It’s kind of scary. I’m shocked to be honest with you.”
According to a law enforcement source, the body could belong to a contractor who was working on a construction project at the school.Photo by Dean Moses 
Police in protective gear helped remove the human remains of an adult man from a chimney at P.S./I.S. 113 on Tuesday, June 30.Photo by Dean Moses
Another Glendale resident, Maggie Rosario, was curious about the discovery.
“I heard all the helicopters and sirens before. So, I came out for a walk and then saw this happening, Rosario said. “They usually have a summer camp, and you know, kids that go. That starts next week. This really is sad.”
There have been no arrests and the investigation remains ongoing, an NYPD spokeswoman said.
Anyone with information regarding this investigation is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website at crimestoppers.nypdonline.org or on X (the platform formerly known as Twitter) @NYPDTips. All calls and messages are kept confidential.
School custodian Brendan Chavez was still shaken hours after an exterminator showed him the corpse in the chimney.Photo by Dean Moses 
An NYPD spokeswoman said there are no arrests and the investigation remains ongoing.Photo by Dean Moses