Santa Ana

Man Arrested on Suspicion of Murder in Death of Woman Found in Santa Ana Apartment

The body was inside as police worked to determine whether it was safe to enter.

Two men were arrested in the death of a woman whose body was found inside a Santa Ana apartment.

A man called police about 3 a.m. to report that a woman was "hurt and needed medical attention" at 215 S. Birch St., according to Santa Ana police Cpl. Anthony Bertagna. The home is known to police for drawing multiple complaints regarding narcotics and other disturbances.

When officers arrived, "they could see her lying on the ground and forced entry into the residence and found her to be deceased with a male next to her," Bertagna said. The body remained inside the apartment for hours Monday as police consulted with drug lab experts to determine if the home was safe to enter. 

Police said Tuesday that Mark Lewis Amacher, 39, of Santa Ana on suspicion of murder. 

"At this point it appears to be a homicide," based on her injuries, Bertagna said. "We're looking into the possibility that the caller was different than the person detained."

A second man, identified as Andrew Buck, 33, of Santa Ana, was detained at the scene and later arrested on an unrelated felony warrant for burglary.  

The home has drawn numerous calls for police service, Bertagna said.

"We come to this location on a regular basis for narcotics and disturbance calls," he said.

The woman's body was still inside the apartment after hazmat crews left the scene, with officials trying to determine if they were dealing with a meth lab as they continued their investigation.

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