Remains of missing Los Angeles woman found on Acoma Indian land in New Mexico
Los Angeles police said Wednesday that the remains of a Los Angeles woman who was reported missing last November were found on a Native American reservation in New Mexico last week.
Denise Coultas was reported missing to the LAPD on Nov. 8 and her vehicle was found abandoned on land of the Acoma Pueblo in New Mexico off Interstate 40, about 60 miles west of Albuquerque, according to the New Mexico Department of Public Safety.
Detectives from the Los Angeles Police Deparment’s Robbery-Homicide Division were notified on Feb. 27 by the New Mexico Board of Indian Affairs that the remains were found on the reservation near where Coultas’ car had been found, according to a LAPD news release.
The remains were identified as the body of Coultas the next day by New Mexico officials and her family was notified, authorities said.
No foul play is suspected. Police said Coultas suffered from a “diminished mental capacity” and had a history of wandering away from her family.
The LAPD said searches for Coultas had been conducted since she went missing, but that weather and rugged terrain had hindered some of the operations.
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