Man dies across from Paso Robles shelter, hours before body found

June 15, 2024

 

By KAREN VELIE

A man checking out a discarded barbecue grill standing amongst a pile of trash across from the ECHO homeless shelter in Paso Robles on Friday night found the grey, stiff body of a homeless man.

Anthony, who did not want to provide his last name, discovered the body. He claimed ECHO staffers kicked Archie out of the shelter several weeks earlier. Anthony was surprised to find Archie’s dead body curled up next to the grill on Black Oak Drive. Investigators have not yet released Archie’s full name.

Archie’s former roommate refused to discuss the reason the now deceased approximately 60-year-old man was evicted from the shelter, while others said Archie made a disrespectful comment to his roommate.

Even though ECHO provides space at its Black Oak Drive facility for SLO Bangers, a group that provides needle exchanges for addicts, it evicts those caught with needles or alcohol at the facility.

Since ECHO converted what was formerly a Motel 6 into a homeless shelter and short-term housing facility several years ago, local business owners say the area is now dangerous with mutiple people camped throughout an area littered with used needles, burnt drug-crusted aluminum foil, feces and other debris.

“It is almost like skid row in LA,” said Ernest Hall, a building owner in the area. “Since ECHO moved in, every business on the corner is for sale. The police drive by, but do nothing. Echo attracts the people, but won’t let them spend the night. We need help.”