The incident was reported at 7:30 a.m. near the intersection of Winnetka Avenue and Oxnard Street, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles Police Department said.
The victim, identified only as being 40 years old, was pronounced dead at the scene. Whether his death was the result of a homicide was not immediately known, the LAPD said.
Video from AIR7 showed police investigators examining the body under a tree, between the roadway and a cinder block wall.
Winnetka Avenue's southbound lanes were closed as an investigation got underway.