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Human Bones Found in Backyard of Home During Landscaping [UPDATED]
Photo by tonyz20 via Shutterstock
A homeowner doing some landscaping in his backyard in Santa Ana made a gruesome discovery Sunday, after unearthing a human skull and other bones.
Authorities say they are waiting on police anthropologists to examine the remains to determine if they are those of a man or woman, and to establish a cause of death, according to City News Service.
The home on the property has only been there for a few years; the previous home burned down in 2006.
The previous homeowner had been on the property for 20 years, reports KTLA. Neighbors have described that man as a pack-rat.
Police say they are speaking with the previous tenant, and are also looking at the 2006 house fire to see if it was an arson or an accident.
Santa Ana police Cpl. Anthony Bertagna said they are also looking at missing person cases from the time of the fire.
The home was declared a crime scene Sunday afternoon, notes the OC Register.
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UPDATE 1PM: Authorities say they have now booked former homeowner Larry Dominguez in connection with the death of the individual whose remains were uncovered on the property Sunday. Bertagna says detectives who interviewed Dominguez Saturday night would not yet reveal what the former homeowner said in order to be considered a criminal suspect. The bones still await removal from the property for examination by the coroner.
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