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A nearly blind refugee was found dead in Buffalo, New York, after Border Patrol agents abandoned him miles from his home, the Investigative Post, a local media outlet, reported Wednesday.

Nurul Amin Shah Alam’s body was discovered on Tuesday night and his death is currently under investigation, police said. The Erie County medical examiner determined his death was “health-related in nature” and not due to exposure or homicide, according to Buffalo City Council spokesman Ian Ott.

Shah Alam, a 56-year-old Rohingya refugee from Myanmar whose lawyer noted he did not speak English, is survived by his wife and two children.

Buffalo police arrested Shah Alam last year after he ended up on a woman’s porch during a walk and allegedly failed to drop a curtain rod he was using as a cane, the outlet reported. Two police officers suffered minor injuries in the incident, according to Reuters.

Mohamad Faisal, one of Shah Alam’s sons, told Reuters the arrest was due to a misunderstanding. Shah Alam did not understand orders to drop the baton and was arrested as a result, Faisal said.

After accepting a plea deal, Shah Alam posted bail and was released on Feb. 19, only to be picked up by Border Patrol, who was notified of his release by the Erie County Sheriff’s Office, an office spokesperson said.

Photo via Nurul Amin Shah Alam missing persons poster distributed by friends and family.

According to Reuters, Immigration and Customs Enforcement had issued an immigration detainer for Shah Alam before his release and wanted to detain him. However, Shah Alam’s attorney, Benjamín Macaluso, told Investigative Post that the terms of a recent statement his client made allowed him to “settle” the detainer and avoid arrest.

Instead of taking Shah Alam to a federal immigration detention center or dropping him off at his home, the Border Patrol dropped him off at a Tim Hortons, miles from his home – though potentially near a former address – and did not notify his family, the Investigative Post reported.

“Border Patrol agents offered him a courtesy ride, which he decided to accept to a coffee shop, determined to be a warm and safe location near his last known address, rather than being released directly from the Border Patrol station,” a Border Patrol spokesperson said in a statement to Buffalo Toronto Public Media. “He showed no signs of distress, mobility problems or disabilities requiring special assistance.”

Faisal told Reuters that “no one told me, my family or my lawyer where they left my father.” His father did not read, write or use electronic devices, he added.

Temperatures have often been below freezing in Buffalo this past month.

Macaluso opened a missing person case on Saturday. Police briefly closed the case Monday for incorrectly believing Shah Alam was in the custody of immigration agents. The Erie County coroner identified Shah Alam Wednesday morning, the Investigative Post and Buffalo Toronto Public Media reported.

“A vulnerable man, nearly blind and unable to speak English, was left alone on a cold winter night with no known attempt to get him to safety,” Buffalo Mayor Sean Ryan (D) said in a statement. “That decision by U.S. Customs and Border Protection was unprofessional and inhumane.”