Woman’s Body Discovered in Westminster

The battered body of an Anaheim woman was found Monday behind an industrial complex.

The 40-year-old victim, wearing a sweater and jeans, was discovered about 7 a.m. in an alley near the corner of Weststate Street and Bishop Place. She had been beaten about the head.

Officials are withholding identification until relatives are contacted, Police Officer Robin Kapp said. A coroner’s report on the cause of death is expected today.

Ruth Munoz, working for a business that makes knife sharpeners in the complex, said she found the body while walking in the alley.

“I saw her laying down. I didn’t know if she was dead or not. Then I saw that her hands were all white and that’s when I called 911,” Munoz related.

The body was dry and must have been dropped off after the rain stopped Sunday night, workers in the area speculated.

Homicides are rare around the holidays, when crimes tend to be burglaries or non-fatal fights, Detective Ken Boyd said.

“This one came as a real surprise,” he added.