EL MONTE — Police sought the public’s help Friday in finding the owner of an urn of what appeared to be cremated remains dropped off by a man with socks covering his hands at a church last week.

The man entered a church in central El Monte on July 20th carrying the urn, El Monte police Lt. Dan Burlingham said. He wore socks over his hands in an apparent attempt to keep his finger prints off the vessel, Burlingham said.

The man told church officials, “He wanted nothing to do with it and wanted to do the right thing so it could be returned to the family,” the lieutenant said. A note with a similar message was found taped to the urn.

After a week of investigation, detectives had not been able to determine where the urn came from or locate the rightful owner, Burlingham said. There was no name or identifying information on the urn.

Police described the man who dropped of the urn as a Latino man in his early- to mid-40s, about 5 feet 5 inches tall, 160 pounds, with black hair in a long pony tail and brown eyes. He had a mustache and possibly tattoos on his chest, and appeared to be transient.

Authorities declined to disclose which church the ashes were dropped off at.

Anyone with information was asked to call the El Monte Police Department at 626-580-2100.