Death of missing 15-year-old girl found near Compton industrial park ruled a homicide

The death of a 15-year-old girl whose body was found Monday in Compton was ruled a homicide, but the cause of death is being withheld, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

The body of Samantha Bustos was found at 1:26 a.m. Monday in the 500 block of West Victoria Street after deputies from the Compton station got a call about a person down. Detectives found she had suffered a traumatic injury to her upper torso.

Bustos, who lived in an unincorporated area of Gardena, was last seen by her family Friday, according to her family’s social media posts. Family members went to the Compton station Sunday to report her missing, according to the Sheriff’s Department.

Her body was found near National Retail Systems, a third-party logistics company.

Andy Miller, the company’s executive vice president, told KTLA-TV Channel 5 that personnel are cooperating with the investigation.

“I got a call early this morning that they had found a body on the perimeter of the property,” Miller said. “We’re cooperating with the police in every way possible. They asked for [security] camera footage over a period of time.”