San Francisco man missing for month found dead in crawl space of own home

SAN FRANCISCO -- Police found the body of a man reported missing five weeks ago in a crawl space at his own home.

During a second search of the man's residence Monday, San Francisco police found the body of Christopher Woitel, 50, in a three-foot high space above the bathroom of his home on Guerrero Street in the city's Mission District.

The San Francisco Medical Examiner's Office has begun an investigation into his death, although police said foul play in not suspected in this incident. The cause of death has not yet been released.

Police said Woitel likely accessed the crawl space from the roof of the building and not from inside his home. He was reported missing Jan. 13 by his mother, who said she had not heard from him since Jan. 9.

Anyone with information regarding this investigation is asked to call the police department's 24-hour tip line at 1-415-575-4444 or text a tip to TIP411 and begin the text message with SFPD.