Santa Ana : Investigation Into Girl’s Murder Continues
Police said Sunday that they were “following leads,” but that no new developments had surfaced in their search for the murderer of a 9-year-old girl.
The investigation involves the death of Patricia Lopez, whose body was found Friday after she had been missing since leaving Monte Vista School Wednesday afternoon.
Police said the child had been killed by a blunt instrument, but no details have yet been released on what the instrument may have been.
“We may have something to announce on Monday, but there’s nothing new today,” Lt. Jack Nelson said. “We’re following leads and continuing our investigation.”
Nelson said Saturday that his department had received the autopsy report from the coroner’s office, but that information would not be released until today.
The girl’s body was found Friday morning by a group of children playing in the dry bed of the Santa Ana River. The body was in a drain pipe in the river bed, about two miles north of Monte Vista School.
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