Marine is found slain in a ditch
An active-duty Marine was found shot to death Thursday morning, lying in a drainage ditch in a hilly, remote area.
Orange County Sheriff’s Department spokesman Jim Amormino said the victim was wearing desert fatigues commonly used in Iraq and Afghanistan and his hat was found nearby. The unidentified man was shot in the upper torso and was lying face down, Amormino said.
Investigators believe he was killed near where he was found.
A doctor walking on a trail near the 1000 block of Calle Cordillera saw the body in the ditch, about 40 yards away, Amormino said. Police estimate that the man had been dead less than 24 hours.
His identity was not released, but Amormino said he is 21 and lived in Sacramento. He was stationed at Camp Pendleton.
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-- H.G. Reza
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