Mario Scarpa, the 53-year-old man originally from Usini who died at dawn last Friday in Sassari, on the sidewalk of Via Carlo Felice, under suspicious circumstances, died from ingesting a caustic substance.
The cause of death, already suspected at the time of death, was confirmed by the autopsy performed this morning at the Institute of Forensic Medicine in Sassari by doctor Francesco Serra, appointed by Deputy Prosecutor Lara Senatore. The nature of the ingestion remains to be determined.
Investigators from the Sassari Police Headquarters' Flying Squad, led by Director Michele Mecca, are continuing their investigation to determine how Scarpa could have drunk or eaten the corrosive substance, whether it was a tragic accident, or whether someone may have deliberately administered it to him. Currently, no one is under investigation.
From video surveillance cameras in the area, police were able to reconstruct Scarpa's final moments. The 53-year-old arrived on Via Carlo Felice in his Mercedes around 6:00 a.m., in perfect health. He entered a building and emerged 45 minutes later, staggering. He took a few steps and collapsed to the ground.
When emergency services arrived, summoned by a call from the victim's cell phone, 118 operators found the man in cardiac arrest with a reddish substance dripping from his mouth. Attempts to keep him alive were unsuccessful. Mobile Unit officers then arrived on the scene and began an investigation.
At the police station, several people were questioned, including Scarpa's family members and acquaintances, as well as a man who apparently spoke to the 53-year-old before he collapsed to the ground.
(Unioneonline)