Detectives from the Sheriff’s Department’s Homicide Bureau responded to San Francisquito Canyon Road, five miles south of Spunky Canyon Road, in the Angeles National Forest, to investigate the circumstances surrounding the discovery of dead body.

“At approximately 4:45 this afternoon, Department of Water and Power workers summoned deputies from  Santa Clarita (Valley) Sheriff’s Station,” said Lt. Eddie Hernandez of the Homicide Bureau.

The DWP employees were working on a tower just west of the road when they noticed a “foul” smell, Hernandez said.

“They looked around and eventually they saw a body inside of a tarp or a bag approximately 20 feet away from the road,” he said.

The body looked like it had been dumped at the location, which is why detectives are investigating it as a “suspicious death,” he said.

Deputies were able to confirm that it was a human body inside of the bag because there were legs visible, he said.

Crime scene investigators are not allowed to disturb the body, only Coroner’s Office officials could move the body, Hernandez said, adding they would be called after investigators were done collecting evidence.

Once coroner’s officials arrive, they will be able to determine whether the body is a man or woman, and an autopsy would likely be needed to determine exactly how long the body had been there.

Hernandez said the smell indicated that the body was probably there for several hours.

There were no active missing persons investigations from the surrounding area, and Hernandez said Sheriff’s Department officials are asking for the public’s help in solving the case.

“Anyone who has information about the body or what happened is asked to call the Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500,” he said.

Original story:

Los Angeles County Sheriff’s homicide detectives are on scene in San Francisquito Canyon to investigate the circumstances surrounding the discovery of a dead body.

The discovery was reported at 5:45 p.m. on San Francisquito Canyon Road, five miles south of Spunky Canyon Road, in the Angeles National Forest.

Anyone with information about the incident is encouraged to contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500.