Riverside police seek slain woman’s identity
Police are asking for the public’s help identifying a woman whose body was found Tuesday in an orange grove in the Arlington Heights section of Riverside. A pair of agricultural workers inspecting the grove discovered the body, wrapped in cloth, about 9 a.m. near the intersection of Dufferin Avenue and McAllister Street, said Det. Dave Smith.
“She’s a mother, probably, somebody’s daughter or somebody’s spouse,” Smith said. “She’s somebody we think people will probably notice is missing.”
The woman was described as white or Latina, in her 30s or 40s, with hazel eyes and medium length brown hair, 5 feet 6 and about 140 pounds. She was wearing gold hoop earrings, a black tank top, blue jeans and brown tennis shoes with light green soles.
She has several tattoos including a four-inch image of the Disney character Goofy standing atop a red rose on her inner-left ankle. The initials “J.T.” are tattooed on the outside of her ankle, police said. A third tattoo on her lower back shows a red tulip or rose rising out of a black horizontal lace design.
The woman was slain and her body dumped in the grove less than a day before it was found, detectives said. The cause of death is under investigation.
Over the years, Riverside police have found several bodies dumped in the city’s remaining orange groves, Smith said.
“It’s dark and there’s not a lot of people around,” Smith said.
Anyone with information should call (951) 353-7103.
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