Santa Barbara authorities have identified the man found dead on a bus bench this week as 46-year-old Paul William Elyanow. At around 9 a.m. on Tuesday, Elyanow’s body was discovered on a bench set in a raised planter box at the Five Points Shopping Center along the 3900 block of State Street.
Police, who received an emergency call from the nearby Subway restaurant, said at the time it appeared he died of “natural causes.” Officials noted Elyanow didn’t show any obvious signs of trauma and that no suspicious evidence was found at the scene.
While police described Elyanow as a transient, information on his Facebook page suggests he recently worked at an area LA Fitness gym. He lists his hometown as Ventura and features many photos of Santa Barbara on the social media site. From 2010 to 2012, a source told The Independent, he co-hosted shows for KCSB 91.9 FM. He was fondly remembered by one of his colleagues as “Pauly” with a “great Bostonian accent.”
Elyanow’s Facebook page also publicly and honestly details a tough battle with addiction and an on-again, off-again commitment to sobriety programs. The case has been forwarded to the Coroner’s Office for further review.