Worker Held After Body of Woman Is Found : Porter Ranch: One man is arrested as a suspect, another held as a potential witness in death of Helen Forkner, 74.

Los Angeles police arrested a laborer Wednesday on suspicion of killing a 74-year-old woman whose body was found in a steep canyon behind her condominium.

Lt. Bob Normandy said the victim, Helen D. Forkner, was possibly pushed by one or two assailants out the back of her condo at the Park Northridge complex, which abuts a canyon off Tampa Avenue north of Rinaldi Street.

Mario Navarro, 26, a Pacoima resident who worked for a company doing repair work in the complex, was taken into custody moments after the body was found, Detective Mike Oppelt said. Navarro was being treated at County-USC Medical Center for unspecified injuries, authorities said.

Neighbors had reported that a man taken from the scene by police was covered with blood.

Normandy said blood was found inside the condo, but he declined to say how the woman died. The body lay on the hillside for almost 12 hours until an airborne search-and-rescue team recovered it.

Normandy said a neighbor was awakened Wednesday morning by sounds of a scuffle at Forkner’s home and that the neighbor called police.

A few hours after Navarro’s arrest, police led another man away from the property in handcuffs, but Normandy said he was a witness. Both men were said to be day laborers hired to do earthquake repairs at the complex. The laborers have been the source of complaints by residents who say they have been living in vacant units and holding late-night parties.

“They don’t know if they have criminal records. No one checks to see,” said Bonnie Nelson, who said someone tried to break into her condo Wednesday morning. “They don’t check anyone out, and you’ve got all these people coming in and out of your house all day.”

No work was being done in Forkner’s condo at the time of her death, friends and neighbors said. They said Forkner, described as a friendly and devout woman, had no enemies.

“I think somebody knew she was alone, that’s all,” said Arlene Fox, 57. “It’s sickening. What idiot could do that to her?”

Fox said she and Forkner used to huddle together during aftershocks of the Northridge quake. “The ground would start shaking and she’d call and say ‘Arlene, come over,’ ” Fox recalled.

Forkner moved into the complex eight years ago to be near her family, Fox said. Forkner’s daughter lives in Northridge and a son lives in Simi Valley, Fox said.

Family members, alerted by televised reports, arrived at Park Northridge while police were gathering evidence. One family member collapsed, sobbing, when she was told what had happened.

Word that police had led two day laborers from the area in handcuffs spread quickly through the condominium complex, and some residents said it confirmed their worst fears.

“I’ve always had the feeling our place was being scoped out,” complained one resident who refused to give her name.

The woman said the homeowners association had discussed what to do about laborers staying overnight in the office and throwing loud parties. Some said the partying was encouraged by other residents who sometimes donated beer.

One association board member said area safety and screening of construction workers would probably be considered at the next meeting. “Obviously, we’re going to have a discussion about it,” said Diane Carothers, the group’s assistant treasurer.

Jack Tracy, vice president of First General Services, the contracting company, said he was unaware of complaints about excessive noise or partying by workers.

Residents said they used to enjoy the privacy and serenity of the complex in the affluent northwest San Fernando Valley neighborhood. But they spoke wearily of coping first with the Northridge quake, and now the death.

“This takes away the feeling you want to have after the rebuilding,” said a 58-year-old resident, who did not want her name printed. “We want to feel safe again.”