Garden Grove : Police Seek Assistance in Identifying Dead Girl

She was 13 to 18 years old and weighed about 100 pounds when she died.

That, investigators say, is about all that they know about the young girl whose remains were left in an industrial trash can two months ago in Garden Grove.

“There’s really not any way to tell how she was killed because she was so badly burned,” Garden Grove Police Sgt. Bruce Beauchamp said Friday. “We are hoping someone can help us identify her.”

An employee of an automotive machine shop discovered the corpse April 24, when he took out the garbage about 8 a.m., police said.

When authorities took the entire trash bin from its location on Annabel Avenue near Newhope Street to the Orange County coroner’s office, they did not know the sex of the body.

They have since learned only a few more details about the victim: she was 5 feet to 5-feet, 5 inches tall, and either Caucasian, Oriental or Latin.

Beauchamp said investigators have not been able to link reports they have of missing persons with this victim. The case is “definitely” being investigated as a homicide, he said.

“We are asking for help in establishing the identity of this victim,” said Lt. Dick Olson, a spokesman for Sheriff-Coroner Brad Gates.

“If anyone has information regarding a missing person who matches this description, they are asked to call either of the following persons: Deputy Coroner William King at (714) 834-3089 or Garden Grove Police Detective (Steve) Sanders at (714) 638-6611.”