COVINA — Police are investigating the slaying of a man who was found shot to death inside the trunk of a car parked in Covina, authorities said Thursday.
The body was found Tuesday in the trunk of a Toyota Camry that had been parked in the 1000 block of E. Wanamaker Drive, Covina police Sgt. Ray Marquez said.
Neighbors called police to report that the car had been parked there for several days, possibly Sept. 23, the sergeant said.
“No one recognized that vehicle or knew who it belonged to,” he said.
Police checked the license plate and found it was listed as being associated with a 26-year-old man who had been reported missing to Ontario police Sept. 23, officials said. Though the car was not registered to the missing man, he was believed to be using it.
Upon taking a closer look, the officers noticed a “very foul odor” coming from the car and opened the trunk, where they found a body, already badly decomposed, Marquez said.
The body had not been identified Thursday, he said, however it appeared to match the basic description of the missing person reported to Ontario police.
Though the man was listed as “John Doe 150” at the Los Angeles County Department of Coroner, an autopsy carried out Thursday determined the victim died from gunshot wounds, coroner’s Assistant Chief of Operations Craig Harvey said. The death was ruled a homicide.
A small amount of dried blood was found inside the passenger compartment of the Camry, officials said, however it was not immediately clear if that blood was related to the death.
Police have been trying to contact the person registered as the owner of the car, a Pomona resident, with no success, he added.
Based on witness accounts, Marquez said, “It’s pretty safe to say that the vehicle was probably there since some time Friday…consistent with when the missing person was reported.”
No suspicious circumstances were reported in the man’s disappearance in Ontario, Marquez said. A family member or close friend called police after noticing he had not been seen recently.
Ontario police deferred all comments to the Covina Police Department.
Anyone with information is asked to call Covina police at 626-384-5808.