A man described as a male relative has been arrested in the slaying of a woman whose bloodied and lifeless body was found in the backyard of a Whittier house, police said.
The death was reported Friday afternoon in the 12800 block of Stardell Street. The scene was described as "gruesome."
Officers encountered the man when they arrived at the house. He had blood on him, according to Homicide Lt. Michael Przybyl. He said there were signs of struggle inside the house.
Neighbors heard one gunshot, but police said that was fired by an officer dealing with an aggressive dog, and was not related to the homicide. Several hours into the investigation, after a search that included checking in the nearby yards of neighbors, police had yet to recover a weapon, Przybyl said.
The slain woman had moved in only a few months ago and was "very nice," one neighbor said.
The location is near the historic Uptown Whittier area, considered the "Heart of Whittier" with tree-lined streets.
