Workers found her body dumped near a hiking trail. Southern California homicide detectives need help identifying a young child whose body was found partially in a duffel bag near a hiking trail on Tuesday. Los Angeles County authorities say the victim is an African-American girl between 8 and 13 years old. She's 4 foot 5 inches tall and weighs about 55 pounds, KNBC reports. They say workers found her body dumped near a hiking trail in Hacienda Heights. Authorities found a black suitcase in close proximity to the child's body. A coroner is trying to determine how she died since there are no visible signs of blunt force trauma. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department is asking for the public's help in helping solve this case. Do you know her? 1/5 2/5 3/5 4/5 5/5 1 / 5 Homicide Lt. Scott Hoglund is hoping to gain more insight from the child's autopsy. "It's a suspicious death investigation,” Hoglund said. “Again, there were no obvious signs of trauma that indicate a homicide, or anything evident to cause was a homicide, some type of blunt force trauma or anything like that. There is no evidence of that. We don't know the cause of death--it is undetermined at this point. And again, we're hoping to find out more at the time of the autopsy." Anyone with information on the case is asked to contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office.<doc-sep>Police in California have identified the girl whose body was found sticking out of a duffel bag last week. Trinity Love Jones, 9, was the victim, and two people have been detained as persons of interest in the case, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. "Although the Coroner's Office determined the death to be a homicide, the cause of death is being withheld," a statement from the department said. Trinity’s body was found on a trail in Hacienda Heights on March 5 by county maintenance workers. Authorities said the body had been there for less than 48 hours when it was found and put out a sketch to help identify who the child was. Authorities previously said there were no signs of trauma to the girl’s body and it’s unclear if she was put in the bag before or after her death. Antonio Jones, who said he was Trinity’s father, said he was shocked at the news. “Words can’t explain what I’m feeling right now,” Jones told KTLA. “I just want answers. I just want justice.” He also described the girl as “full of character, full of life, full of joy.” Last Thursday, mourners held a vigil for the 9-year-old near the Skyline trail where she was found. "I think it’s important that she’s everybody’s child here," an attendee said of the child. RELATED STORIES<doc-sep>Crime & Safety Two Detained In Death Of Trinity Jones Hours after police identified the little girl dumped in the duffle bag as Trinity Love Jones, 9, they detained two "persons of interest." Reply Police identified Trinity Love Jones, 9, as the girl found dumped in a duffle bag in hacienda Heights. (Courtesy of LASD) LOS ANGELES, CA — Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department detectives arrested two people in connection with the death of 9-year-old Trinity Love Jones, whose body was dumped near a a Hacienda Heights hiking trail, police announced Monday. Police announced the arrests just hours after Trinity's family confirmed her identity to reporters. Little is known about the pair arrested nor their relationship to Trinity, whose tragic death has gripped the community. On Sunday, they created a memorial where her body was found with candles, flowers, balloons, stuffed animals and photos. Hours after Trinity was identified as the girl in the duffle bag, her family called for justice. "Words can't explain what I'm feeling right now," Anthony Jones, Trinity's father, said at the memorial site Sunday. "I just want answers. I just want justice. She was just the best -- full of character, full of life, full of joy." Jones said he learned of his youngest daughter's death through a telephone call. Authorities did not say who they arrested as "persons of interest" in the case. Detectives spent days trying to confirm the little girl's identity after county workers found her body Tuesday partially inside of a black roll-away type duffel bag with her head and upper body protruding from the bag left at the bottom of an embankment. But it didn't take long after coroner's officials identified her for police to take the pair into custody. An autopsy was completed earlier this week on the body and determined she was between 8 and 13 years old and described as black, about 4 feet 5 inches tall and weighing about 55 pounds. The cause of the girl's death was determined to be a homicide, the coroner's office said. The sheriff's department had released a composite sketch of the girl on Wednesday, along with photos of a pink long-sleeve top with the words "Future Princess Hero" and gray pants with pandas on them that she was wearing when her body was found. County workers clearing some brush in the area uncovered the youngster's remains.<doc-sep>
A child’s body was discovered along a popular trail in California after apparently being dumped on the path near a suitcase, authorities said. The body of a little girl, believed to be between 8 and 13 years old, was found near the hiking trail south of Hacienda Boulevard and Glenmark Drive in Hacienda Heights about 10 a.m. Tuesday, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said. “Investigators believe the body was left at the location over 24 hours” before it was found, police said. She was pronounced dead at the scene, officials said. “We are investigating this as a homicide scene, but again, we don’t have a lot of details regarding the victim,” Lt. Scott Hogland told KTLA-TV. It was unclear if the child’s body showed any signs of trauma. Her identity was not immediately known, and the coroner’s office was needed to determine the child’s gender. The coroner will also work to determine the cause of death, officials said. A law enforcement source told KTLA-TV the girl’s body was found inside luggage. Hogland told the television station a suitcase was found “in the close proximity” of the body, but could not say whether or not the victim was found inside the baggage. The body appeared to have been “dumped” or “pushed off the edge of roadway down the embankment,” Hogland said. It ended up on an equestrian trail, where gardeners in the area found it. Anyone with information about the incident or the victim is asked to call the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500. Information can also be provided anonymously by calling Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477. RELATED STORIES