Deputies serving an eviction notice at an East County apartment Wednesday found a woman's decomposed remains in a box inside the residence.
The personnel were in the process of removing a tenant from the rental apartment in the 11600 block of Woodside Avenue in Lakeside about 8:30 a.m. when the renter told them there was a dead person there, according to sheriff's officials.
In a back room, deputies found a locked box the size of a large suitcase or trunk with human remains in it. The deceased woman appeared to have been dead for six months to a year, Lt. Kenneth Nelson told reporters.
Homicide detectives were called in to investigate. Personnel with the county Medical Examiner's Office took custody of the remains for identification and autopsy purposes.
The evicted tenant was being questioned about the remains, which may have been those of a relative of hers, the lieutenant told news crews. There were no immediate arrests, Nelson said.