DJ AM has been found dead in his New York City apartment.

Det. Brian Sessa tells PEOPLE that at 5:20 p.m. on Friday New York Police Department officers entered an apartment on Lafayette Street in response to a 911 call about a man who hadn't been seen for two days. Inside, they found the body of a white male in his 30s. Another police source confirmed to PEOPLE that the dead man was DJ AM.

The cause of death has not been released by the medical examiner, although N.Y.P.D. Deputy Commissioner Paul Browne said there was no apparent evidence of foul play. A police source said prescription drugs where found in the apartment.

Goldstein's publicist released a statement Friday confirming the news of his death. "The circumstances surrounding his death are unclear. Out of respect for his family and loved ones, please respect their privacy at this time," the statement says.

DJ AM (real name: Adam Michael Goldstein) was 36. He narrowly escaped death in a 2008 jet crash with Blink 182's Travis Barker.

The news of today's death was first reported by TMZ.

DJ AM's Last Days
On Thursday, Goldstein Tweeted, "New york, new york. Big city of dreams, but everything in new york ain't always what it seems."

DJ AM was scheduled to work tonight at Rain nightclub at the Palms in Las Vegas, where he has a standing gig. He DJed at the club last weekend. "He never drinks alcohol – ever," says a source who has seen him there. "Every time he's there he drinks Fiji water and Red Bull – six Fijis and six Red Bulls every night."

Goldstein had just played Dusk in Atlantic City on Tuesday night. He was part owner of the club, which will be closed Friday night. In a statement, Dusk management said, "We are devastated by the loss of Adam Goldstein, our dear friend and valued member of the Dusk family. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his loved ones. He was a true talent who will be greatly missed."

His Past Struggles
Goldstein, a popular DJ in the Hollywood, New York and Vegas club scene. He had struggled with weight, drugs, depression and abuse.

"Drugs became my identity," he said in 2005. "I would deejay until 2 a.m., go get drugs and stay up until 10 in the morning doing drugs alone in my apartment." During his early 20s, his weight escalated to 300 lbs.

A critical turning point in his life came in 1997 when Goldstein considered suicide. After a night of doing cocaine, Goldstein, 24 at the time, saw himself in the mirror and "could not move away from staring at myself," he says. He put a gun in his mouth but stopped, sobbing and asking "God, please help me."

After vowing to get off drugs and lose weight, Goldstein underwent gastric bypass surgery and dropped 115 lbs.

He dated Nicole Richie and got engaged to the reality TV star in 2005, though the two called off their engagement in December of that year. Goldstein most recently dated model Hayley Wood but according to reports called it quits in August 2009.