RIO LINDA, CA – Local authorities are conducting a homicide investigation following the grisly discovery of a body in a stolen moving van in Rio Linda. According to a spokesperson from the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office, the body was found inside a U-Haul vehicle on I Street, which was reported missing.
Sergeant Amar Gandhi described the crime as unusual for the typically quiet and peaceful neighborhood. Rio Linda, a rural area, reportedly sees limited amounts of law enforcement activity.
Upon receiving a request to remove the improperly parked vehicle from a dead-end street, the California Highway Patrol arrived at the scene. Officers ran the license plate, discovered the van’s stolen status, and consequently found the body.
Gandhi confirmed the U-Haul vehicle had been reported stolen from South Sacramento on August 17. The amount of time that the van was stationed at the dead-end is still undetermined.
The investigators were cautious, making efforts to preserve evidence and avoid contamination. The initial stages of the investigation witnessed homicide detectives methodically collecting evidence till the crime scene investigators arrived.
Local residents, consisting largely of families, confirmed that such incidents are rare in their community. The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office has since classified the case as a homicide. The identity of the deceased person has not yet been publicly disclosed.