A homeless man was found dead in front of a building in Hempstead on Monday.

Police say they received a call around 8:40 a.m. about a body lying on a ventilation grate outside of an entrance at 100 Terrace Ave.

Temperatures were in the single digits on Sunday night, but police don't believe the cold was to blame for his death.

"It appears from the medical examiner's preliminary exam at the scene that it was not exposure-related, some other circumstance, maybe drugs or alcohol, at this time," said Sgt. Jeff Larssan, of the Hempstead Police Department.

A woman, who would only identify herself as Renee, said the victim was homeless and had substance abuse problems.

Security cameras are installed on the building near where the body was found, but management has not revealed whether the cameras captured any pictures of the man.