Human remains were found at two Los Angeles treatment plants located 30 miles away from each other, in dual cases that the LAPD Sherriff's Department said seem to be related.
According to KTLA 5, an upper torso belonging to a female was discovered at a waste treatment plant near Whittier on Monday, and is said to match up with a pelvis and legs found Saturday at a water treatment plant in Carson.
Detectives have ruled the case a homicide, according to Lt. Mike Rosson of the Sherriff's Department, who spoke with the Los Angeles Times. Officials from the coroner's office stated they'd conduct an extensive investigation into the body parts, using DNA tests to ensure that they are related.
Investigators told the LA Times that they're under the impression the woman's body made its way into the sanitation pipelines in or around the San Gabriel Valley area. There is still a missing arm that authorities reported they're still looking for, and hope to find soon.
"Anything that comes into the Los Angeles water plant must move through a 17-inch line before going through a central pump," Rosson said. "So you imagine what kind of damage to a person's body would happen."
Authorities found the torso at the San Jose Creek Water Reclamation Plant on Workman Mill Road, the LA Times reported. Spokesperson for the Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County Don Avila reported that the two plants are associated with one another. Seven plants in the area are connected by sewage pipes that run as big as 12 feet in diameter.
