Los Angeles

Human remains found inside trash bin in Sunland neighborhood

Concerned residents say the neighborhood is usually a very safe area.

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The body of a woman was found inside a trash bin Tuesday in a Sunland neighborhood.

The Los Angeles Police Department received a call around 10:00 a.m. about possible human remains in a trash can. The bin was found near Wentworth Street and Sherman Grove Avenue.

William Elliot, a Sunland resident, said someone dumped the trash can onto his property. He moved it to the street without knowing what was inside it.

"I found it last night around 6:30 when I came home going down the driveway looked over and saw. Saw that it was a trash can tipped over on its face and I could smell something not right right away," Elliot said.

He said he called police, the city and sanitation, telling them something didn't seem right.

"It smells bad and it was zip tied and very suspicious that the serial number was scratched off of it," Elliot said.

Law enforcement sources told the NBC4 I-team that they believe the remains are those of a victim of a crime. The body was found inside of a bag.

According to an LAPD detective, the remains belong to a woman in her early to mid-thirties. The body was also found with significant decomposition.

Residents were shocked to discover what had happened in their neighborhood with many unanswered questions.

“I am scared i just want to know what happened," said Maria Markarian, a Sunland resident. "It is disturbing, I go back and forth here to know what happened because I want to protect my family and the neighborhood of course it is our neighborhood.”

The woman has not been identified and investigators are still waiting on the coroner's examination. Police are still working to determine if the trash can was brought to the neighborhood.

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