Coroner Seeks to Identify 2 Dead

Coroner’s officials said Monday they hope to use dental records to identify two badly decomposed bodies found inside an Anaheim apartment over the weekend.

Autopsies on the two, tentatively identified by the apartment manager as Dennis Arnold Rice, 54, and his niece, Lori Vanboxtel, 32, were inconclusive, said Larry Esslinger, supervising deputy coroner. Toxicology test results, he said, could take one to four months.

The bodies were found at the Baltimore Apartments in the 2900 block of Lincoln Avenue about 5 p.m. Sunday after manager Melvin Bonilla notified police of an odor coming from the unit. .

Bonilla told authorities that Rice had moved into the apartment with his wife in 1997. She moved out about a year ago, he said, and the niece had lived there about eight months. Authorities found the bodies in the living room. Beer cans and liquor bottles were strewn about, investigators said. No weapons were found.

Anaheim Police Sgt. Joe Vargas said Rice may have been ill. Both victims appeared to have been dead a week or more, he said. Their feet were chewed off, apparently by two dogs that were in the home and had run out of food. Animal control officers took custody of the dogs, which were expected to be claimed by family members, police said.

Neighbors told investigators they had not seen Rice or Vanboxtel for several days.