Body of man found in suitcase still not identified, investigators say

Los Angeles County coroner’s investigators have not been able to identify the body of a man who was found Monday inside a suitcase in the Verdugo wash in Glendale.

A cause of death hasn’t been determined for the man who has yet to be examined, coroner’s spokesman Ed Winter said. However, police said the man was in his 20s.

A Los Angeles County Public Works employee made the gruesome discovery about 9 a.m. while cleaning the wash near Glorietta and Woodland avenues.

The employee noticed plastic was protruding from the suitcase and didn’t want to touch it, so he immediately notified police, according to Glendale Police Sgt. Tom Lorenz.

Soon after, police arrived at the wash, which runs through Glorietta Park, and called the coroner’s office.

The body, which was clothed, appeared to be intact.

Lorenz said the suitcase was likely disposed of sometime Sunday night or early Monday and appeared to be dumped just below a bridge above the wash.

Police remained at the scene for several hours and closed off a portion of the park as homicide detectives investigated the man’s death.

The discovery would make it the second homicide in Glendale since November.

Police said they don’t have any outstanding missing person’s reports.

Detectives plan to interview neighbors in the area to find out whether they saw anything, Lorenz said.

Zoila Einem has lived in the neighborhood for 41 years and described it as quiet and nice.

“I was surprised because every morning I walk my dog and I was like, ‘what’s going on here?’” she said.

Anyone with information about the body or the suitcase is asked to call the Police Department at (818) 548-3987 or Glendale Crime Stoppers at (818) 507-7867.

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Follow Veronica Rocha on Google+ and on Twitter: @VeronicaRochaLA.

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