VENTURA : Ojai Woman’s Body Discovered in Hills

Landscapers found the bludgeoned body of a 42-year-old Ojai woman Tuesday morning at the end of a cul-de-sac in the Ventura hills, police said.

The body of Danielle Lynn Clause was discovered face-down in a sandy rainwater catch basin about 10:30 a.m., Detective Sgt. Bob Anderson said. Investigators believe that she was killed late Monday night or early Tuesday morning.

Anderson said Clause died after being hit on the head with a blunt object.

A small pool of blood was found around the victim’s head, police said.

Police and county coroner’s officials identified Clause on Tuesday afternoon through fingerprints obtained through a police records search, Anderson said. An autopsy is scheduled this morning.

Anderson said Clause, who was unemployed, moved to Ojai from Ventura recently. He said she went by at least five other last names--Harvey, Harper, Rector, Kellison and Gray.

Lt. Don Arth, the department spokesman, said Clause was found wearing a black shirt, underpants, white socks and one black Reebok sneaker.

While detectives canvassed the neighborhood for witnesses Tuesday afternoon, police cadets poked through the brush and a dumpster near the luxury houses at the end of Tioga Drive off Kalorama Drive.