Police Investigate Murder Mystery in Valley Village
A tip leads to the discovery of a woman's body in the trunk of a parked car
A car which had the body of a woman inside the trunk is towed away from a street in Valley Village to the coroner's office.
LOS ANGELES (CNS) - An autopsy was pending today on the body of a woman found slain in the trunk of her car by police, who were alerted to the homicide by an anonymous fax sent to KTLA-TV.
The body of 22-year-old Denise Figueroa of North Hills was found in the trunk of a black Nissan Altima in the 11700 block of Hortense Street, coroner's Lt. Cheryl MacWillie said.
Officers opened the car shortly before 2 p.m. Saturday after being notified by KTLA, which received a fax from ``someone trying to help.'' The fax included the names of two possible suspects -- Christopher Bullock and Adele Chapel, police said.
According to broadcast reports, Chapel, a man, is in a Los Angeles jail.
The fax said the killing occurred Feb. 28, police said.
A man who identified himself as Figueroa's uncle arrived at the scene Saturday and said police were unhelpful when told about the woman's disappearance on Monday. The man said he spoke to someone believed to be the last person to see Figueroa alive, and that person told him he was sorry he had hurt Figueroa.
The Nissan is registered to the woman found in it, police said.
"Something occurred inside the vehicle," Lt. Alan Hamilton said at the scene.
