Community members gathered on Saturday evening to mourn the death of an unidentified child, whose small body was found either in or near a set of dumpsters in Panorama City.
The Los Angeles Police Department confirmed to KTLA on Saturday morning that a call came into the station at around 7 a.m., reporting a deceased boy found in a deserted parking lot on the 8200 block of Van Nuys Boulevard.
Details are limited, but the LAPD estimated the boy to be between 3 and 5 years old. No further identifying factors were immediately provided, but detectives were seen speaking with nearby business owners and residents to try to find out when the boy was brought to the location.
People passing by the active crime scene expressed their concerns to KTLA’s Rachel Menitoff, including Panorama City resident Daniel Garcia. “They found the 3-4-year-old by the dumpster,” said Garcia. “What I’m trying to figure out, they lock those gates, so who’s going to get in there?”
LAPD Detective Meghan Aguilar also spoke with KTLA at the investigation scene on Saturday, saying it’s not yet clear how the boy died.
“They’re trying to put together the pieces to really understand when this happened and from there figure out who is responsible for this,” said Aguilar.
Aguilar also said that the Abused Child Unit is taking the lead and searching for one or possibly multiple suspects.
“I will tell you, this could be a natural death. This could be due to abuse,” said Aguilar. “We just don’t know at this point. They won’t touch that body until the coroners arrive, and then it becomes the responsibility of the coroner to determine the cause of death.”
While the morbid investigation remains underway, the public came together to hold a vigil for the unidentified boy that evening. Some were seen bringing flowers to pay their respects to the child, despite not knowing him personally.
“It weighs on the heart, definitely, because 3-4 years old, so innocent,” said resident Corey Watkins. “They don’t necessarily know what’s going on, and they’re looking to adults for protection.”
Another resident, Christian Sanchez, said his family owns Nob Hill Banquet and Conference Center, located a couple of yards away from the crime scene. He told KTLA that the child was discarded in the same place where they dispose of their trash.
“I’m a father,” said Sanchez. “4 years old, I can’t even imagine the pain that little baby went through. Can you imagine?”
LAPD detectives said they’re withholding a lot of information to help in their interviewing of witnesses and eventual interrogation of a suspect. There was no immediate word as to where the parents might be.
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