Woman’s body found inside trash can in Sunland
Police are investigating after a woman’s body was discovered inside a trash can in Sunland Tuesday morning.
The gruesome discovery was made around 10:30 a.m. on the 8500 block of Wentworth Street when Los Angeles police received calls from neighbors reporting an odd odor.
Arriving officers discovered a decomposing body inside a bag that was stuffed into a trash can with the lid sealed shut.
LAPD confirmed the body belonged to a woman in her 30s, but no identity was released.
Video from Sky5 showed law enforcement officers investigating the black trash can, which appeared to have been placed along the curb as if it were waiting for a normal trash pickup.
However, the trash can does not belong to the neighborhood, police said. It’s unclear how the woman died or how long her body had been inside.
Neighbors in the area were shocked and saddened to hear of the horrifying discovery.
“I’ve lived here for 30 years and I walk all around here and never imagined I would see this,” said Bennisa Rendon, a local resident.
Later in the day, a crime scene van arrived and a white tent typically used to conceal the bodies of deceased people was placed above the trash bin.
“The initial reports were saying there was a foul smell coming from the trash bin as well as flies,” said LAPD Detective Eduardo Serrano. “We don’t understand what exactly happened yet, but just the fact that a body was discarded in the street, in a trash bin, it’s very saddening. That’s no way for a person to discover that their loved one was left in that manner.”
The area was blocked off with crime scene tape and traffic was being diverted.
Officials from the coroner’s office were on site and working to determine a cause of death.
No suspect information has been released so far. Anyone with information on the case is asked to call the LAPD at 1-877-275-5273.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA.
