Human remains found in Palmdale vehicle buried in mud
Homicide investigators with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department were dispatched to Palmdale on Tuesday after human remains were found in a vehicle buried in several feet of mud, authorities said.
Los Angeles County firefighters were removing a vehicle stuck under several feet of mud in a culvert near 62nd Street West and Avenue M-8 when they found the remains inside the vehicle, sheriff’s Sgt. Bob Boese said.
Homicide investigators will determine whether the remains were the result of foul play or a weather-related tragedy stemming from flooding and mud flows that hit the area during last week’s storm.
Palmdale and other parts of northern Los Angeles County were pummeled by a series of heavy downpours Thursday, triggering mudslides and flash floods that trapped drivers, overwhelmed roads and prompted the closure of a 40-mile stretch of the 5 Freeway. Golf ball-sized hail pounded Lake Hughes and parts of Palmdale.
The Leona Valley, just west of Palmdale, was the hardest hit, with rain falling six inches an hour and winds gusting to 60 mph at 4:20 p.m., according to the weather service. The storm eventually diminished, but as it moved eastward, it brought record daily rainfall to Palmdale. Ten homes were damaged in Palmdale, city officials said.
This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
For breaking news in California, follow @MattHjourno.
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