Man’s body found in the trunk of a car parked on a Stanton street
When officers opened the trunk of a car in Stanton on Friday morning, they made a grisly discovery: the body of a man who appeared to have been murdered.
The gray, four-door Lexus abandoned in the 12000 block of Leafwood Street was bound to attract attention. The driver’s side window was shattered. Blood stained the exterior. There was more blood inside.
A man who lives in the neighborhood told television reporters that he had reviewed home surveillance camera footage showing the Lexus pull to a stop at about 10:48 p.m. Thursday. A light-colored van followed. One person got out of the car; another from the van, he said. They appeared to open the car’s trunk, look inside and close the trunk. Then they got into the van and drove away.
By Friday night, detectives with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department knew the name of the victim — a man in his 30s — and the owner of the car, but were not yet releasing that information as the investigation proceeded, said Carrie Braun, a public information officer.
The investigation also took officers to another scene about half a mile away, where the Lexus might have previously been parked.
“We are looking into whether the scenes are connected,” Braun said.
Twitter: @howardblume
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
