Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department

Missing Woman's Car in 2-Year-Old Case Found Down Angeles Crest Highway Embankment

Skeletal remains were also found near the car.

After a vehicle and skeletal human remains were discovered 500 feet down an embankment near the Angeles Crest Highway in the Angeles National Forest Wednesday, investigators revealed Thursday the identity of the missing woman connected to the car.

Kimberly Blum, 47, was reported missing in June 2014, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

Her car, a silver Honda CRV, was discovered to have plunged off the side of the highway and down a steep ravine 17 miles from La Canada.  

While skeletal remains were found near the car, the coroner's office was still investigating. 

The cause of death would need to be determined by the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner.

"By running the VIN, we learned that the vehicle is associated to a missing person investigation out of Los Angeles Police Department from several years ago," Lt. Steve Jauch said.  He emphasized that the skeletal remains have not yet been identified, and may not be for several weeks. 

Discovery of fresh skid marks pointed toward the edge of a turnout had prompted the search of the area beginning Tuesday.  Late in the day, crews hiking into the ravine found the vehicle, and returning Wednesday morning they discovered the skeletal remains.

The skid marks, investigators determined, came  from a recent close call, and not from the vehicle found.  The circumstances of it going into the ravine remain unclear.  

"We're going to have to do a real biopsy of that scene to see if we can figure out how this happened, whether it's a criminal investigation,  a non-criminal death.  And certainly it's going to be a while before we're able to identify the victim," Jauch said.

For investigative purposes, the area was secured and probed as a crime scene, though it's not yet known if the death resulted from homicide or something else, Jauch said.

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