Man’s body is found in impounded taxi’s trunk
A foul odor around a taxi that had been impounded for parking violations turned out to be coming from a decomposing body in the vehicle’s trunk, authorities said Tuesday.
A Los Angeles tow yard employee who was cleaning up nearby smelled the odor and noticed blood dripping from the trunk. When detectives opened the trunk about noon Tuesday, they discovered a man’s body inside.
“He’d been in there five days,” said Los Angeles Police Department Lt. Paul Stalker. “It is considered a homicide.”
Although police declined to identify the cause of death, sources familiar with the investigation said the unidentified man might have been shot.
The taxi was towed to the yard on East 21st Street from the 2200 block of Alameda Avenue last week. It was unclear whether the vehicle was licensed. It had not been reported stolen, Stalker said.
The investigation is continuing. If the death is ruled a homicide, it will be the 42nd this year for the Newton Division, the LAPD area just south of downtown.
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