The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office is asking the public for help in identifying a young girl who was found inside a black rolling duffle bag on a hiking trail in Hacienda Heights, California.
The black female is believed to be between the ages of 8 and 13.
She was wearing a pink long-sleeved top with “Future Princess Hero” written on it and pants with a panda print when a LA County Parks and Recreation worker found her partially stuffed inside a suitcase, reports the Los Angeles Times.
The department released a sketch of the mystery girl.
Authorities believe her body had been in the park for less than 48 hours. Lt. Scott Hoglund told reporters at a Wednesday news conference:
“It is a suspicious-death investigation. There were no obvious signs of trauma. We don’t have any idea who this child is.”
Sherrif’s officials are waiting for an autopsy report to determine the child’s cause of death. It remains unclear whether or not the girl was placed in the bag dead or alive.
Hoglund said:
“It’s a horrible tragic case our investigators are working diligently on to solve.”
He added:
“At this point, we don’t have any leads. We are looking for any type of witnesses that may have been traveling in that area, that may have seen a vehicle pulled over to the side. We are looking for any lead.”
The girl was approximately 4’5″ tall and weighed 55 pounds.
She was found around 10 a.m. on Tuesday.
Sheriff Alex Villanueva told reporters:
“It’s a sad moment for the department, for the community, and we’re going to do our best to figure out what led to the suspicious death of the child involved.
I’ve directed the investigators to spare no effort to find out what happened.”
Anyone with information on the case is asked to contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500.
People can submit anonymous tips through Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS.