Car crash victim had bullet hole in back of his head

What initially appeared to be a car crash caused by a suspected drug overdose suddenly became a fatal shooting when Delray Beach Fire Rescue took a closer look at the victim.

Roy Criscione, 29, had a small bullet wound in the back of his head, police said. Area residents had reported hearing gunshots earlier Saturday night.

Detectives found Criscione slumped at the wheel of a black Chrysler 200 that had crashed through a fence and hit a bronze-colored car parked in a driveway near Southwest Eighth Avenue and Third Court about 10:20 p.m.

The Chrysler’s rear window was smashed, the front windshield was cracked, and the airbags had deployed. Criscione was alive but was unable to talk, police said.

Thinking he may have been overdosing, officers administered the opioid treatment drug Narcan. Paramedics later discovered the bullet wound and took Criscione to Delray Medical Center where he was pronounced dead Monday afternoon.

The Palm Beach County Medical Examiner’s Office determined the gunshot was the cause of death. Detectives believe Criscione came from New York and had been living in his Chrysler in Delray Beach.

Investigators are asking anyone with information to contact Detective Oscar Leon at 561-243-7845 or send anonymous tips to Palm Beach County Crime Stoppers at 800-458-8477, or email info@crimestopperspbc.com. Crime Stoppers will pay up to $1,000 for an anonymous tip that leads to an arrest.