Homicide Suspected In Man's Death On Popular Santa Ana River Trail
SANTA ANA (CBSLA) – Investigators believe a man found dead on a popular Santa Ana River trail early Friday morning was likely the victim of a homicide.
The victim was discovered at around 6 a.m. on a dirt path north of 5th Street, near Spurgeon Park and across the channel from the Willowick Golf Course.
Santa Ana police told CBSLA that the man is not homeless and appears to be the victim of a homicide. However, investigators are waiting for the Orange County Coroner to arrive on scene and examine him to confirm this.
"Based on what they see at this point, it appears that it's a possible homicide," Santa Ana police Cpl. Anthony Bertagna said. "We're waiting for the coroner to arrive so that they can start doing their work into the investigation."
The man was likely killed late Thursday night or early Friday morning, Bertagna said.
The person who discovered the body did not have a cell phone, so he flagged down some construction workers who were doing a bridge project in the Santa Ana Riverbed. They in turn called 911.
Its unclear if police know the man's identity or have a possible motive in his killing.