The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner on Friday identified a woman found dead this week in a garbage bin in the city’s Sunland neighborhood.
Heather Haas, 32, was discovered Tuesday after nearby residents reported a bad odor emanating from the trash can.
“I found it last night around 6:30 when I came home. … Saw that it was a trash can tipped over on its face and I could smell something not right right away. It smells bad and it was zip tied and very suspicious that the serial number was scratched off of it,” Sunland resident William Elliot told Los Angeles station KNBC-TV.
The medical examiner’s office didn’t specify a cause of death, and it’s not known how long the body was in the bin before it was discovered.
“We don’t understand what exactly happened yet, but just the fact that a body was discarded in the street, in a trash bin, it’s very saddening. That’s no way for a person to discover that their loved one was left in that manner,” Los Angeles Police Department Detective Eduardo Serrano told KTLA-TV.
The LAPD is continuing its investigation into Ms. Haas’ death.
• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.
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