A fisherman on the embarcadero called police just before 6:30 a.m. saying he could see shoes floating in the water just four or five feet from the pier. It was in fact the body of a man and when authorities pulled him from the water they realized he was weighted down.
"I can tell you that there were weights involved. I can't tell you anything beyond that," said Oakland Police Officer Johnna Watson.
Investigators estimate the body had been in the water for several days, which at least one witness corroborates.
"He said the car has been there for three days," said witness Tyrone Mack.
Police won't confirm if or how a red car is involved, but they are looking at it as evidence. They're also talking with witnesses, including those who live onboard boats moored nearby. Officers on a police boat interviewed them and used sonar to search for evidence in the water.
"This is still a very new crime scene; we are treating it as a crime scene. We want to be careful and make sure that if there is any foul play involved as far as the integrity of the investigation that stays intact," said Watson.
There will be an update on whether this was a homicide or suicide after the coroner completes his report.
