Bones that were found partially buried in the backyard of a South Los Angeles home have been determined to be human remains, police said Thursday.
The grim discovery was reported by a resident around 11 a.m. Wednesday, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. Officers then responded to the home, located on 49th Street near Main Street, which is in the South Park neighborhood.
The bones were found partially buried behind the home, between two sheds, LAPD Lt. Ryan Rabett told KTLA Thursday.
Homicide detectives were dispatched to the scene to investigate the death, which appears to be suspicious, police said.
The coroner’s office is also assisting in the investigation and will determine the victim’s identity.
It’s unclear when the person died; a cause of death has also yet to be determined.
The homeowner, who has lived at the location since the 1970s, told KTLA she never heard or smelled anything suspicious — until she found the skeletal remains. She said she had hired a man to clean up the backyard, and he discovered the remains.
“Found this — looked like a body, I guess it was a body. But when I looked, it was wrapped up, so when I saw the knees, I turned around,” said the woman, who did not want to be identified. “It was just bones.”
“It’s scary,” she added.
The homeowner said investigators told her the remains has been at the home for at least a year.
KTLA’s Nidia Becerra contributed this story.