Police on Thursday recovered the car belonging to a 49-year-old cook’s helper whose body was found in his Chinatown apartment last week.

A 24-year-old man, with no local address, was found sleeping in a 2007 silver To-yota Camry belonging to the victim, Hoang Van Nguyen, in Pearl City at Kamehameha Highway and Acacia Road early Thursday morning.

Police arrested the man at 4:10 a.m. on an outstanding warrant, but not in connection with the killing. He was released on $100 bail. However, a police spokeswoman said the man is a person of interest.

He has a criminal record that includes three probation violations in 2013 and 2011, and two petty misdemeanor theft convictions in 2010.

Nguyen was last seen alive Dec. 27 near North Hotel and River streets, just a few feet from the entrance to his apartment building, Chinatown Manor, at 175 N. Hotel St., police said.

His body was found in his apartment at about 9:30 a.m. two days later. An autopsy determined his death was suspicious, police said.

The case is classified as a second-degree murder. His car had been reported missing.

Friends said the victim lived in the Chinatown apartment for about two years and was well known in the Vietnamese community because he was friendly. He had worked part time at Bac Nam Vietnamese Restaurant, 1117 S. King St., for about eight months.

Anyone with information about this case is asked to call CrimeStoppers at 955-8300 or *CRIME from a cellphone.