Slain model’s car showed signs of a struggle, police say

Buena Park police said Thursday there was a violent struggle in slain swimsuit model Jasmine Fiore’s Mercedes-Benz, which authorities recovered in a West Hollywood parking lot.

But investigators said they don’t know whether she was killed in the car, a San Diego hotel room or somewhere else. Her body was put into a suitcase, and police believe it was dumped in a Buena Park trash bin on Aug. 14.

Investigators said they found significant amounts of blood and some hair in the Mercedes. The interior of the car appeared to have been wiped down, and the car’s exterior had been washed.

Still, officials said they found evidence of twigs, grass and mud on the undercarriage and grill of the car, suggesting it was taken off road, most likely in the Corona area near the junction of the 91 and 15 freeways.

Sgt. Bill Kohanek said police were combing that area looking for, among other things, the missing tips of Fiore’s fingers and her teeth, which they believe were removed after she was killed.

They said there was evidence that a violent struggle took place between Fiore and her ex-husband, Ryan Alexander Jenkins, in the vehicle.

They said an older note written by Jenkins to Fiore was also found in the car. In the note, police said, Jenkins expressed jealously, but they did not elaborate.

Jenkins eventually fled Southern California, passed through Las Vegas and over the border into Canada after leading authorities on a dangerous boat pursuit.

He was found dead Sunday in a British Columbia motel, apparently a suicide.

Police said Thursday that they also found blood on the patio of the L’Auberge Del Mar hotel where Jenkins and Fiore had gone Aug. 13.

Investigators said that it appeared Jenkins had placed Fiore in the suitcase in their room there. --

ari.bloomekatz@latimes.com

andrew.blankstein @latimes.com