Unidentified Body Washes Ashore in Santa Monica
The body of a man at least 45 years old was found near the water’s edge on a Santa Monica beach early Monday, and authorities are seeking the public’s help in identifying him.
The man was Latino, about 5-feet-7 and 180 pounds, said Lt. Ed Winter of the Los Angeles County coroner’s office. He had short, graying hair and a short mustache and was wearing a white T-shirt, dark blue shorts and white socks. No shoes were found.
The body was found in the 1300 block of Pacific Coast Highway just before 5 a.m., said Santa Monica police Sgt. Mohamed Marhaba.
The corpse appeared to have been in the water for a few hours and had massive trauma to the head, which might have been caused by a boat propeller, Winter said.
As the coroner’s van carrying the body left the scene, it was involved in a minor traffic accident with another vehicle, Winter said.
The driver of the coroner’s van was treated at a hospital for minor injuries.
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