Pool Of Blood Leads To Body, 3 Arrests, 1 Manhunt

AZUSA, CA — It started with a 911 call Monday, a pool of blood and no body. But within two days, Los Angeles Sheriff's Department investigators arrested three men in connection with the death of an Azusa man, whose body was dumped off the side of San Gabriel Canyon Road Wednesday night.

Detectives arrested three men Thursday and are looking for a fourth suspect believed to be involved in the death of an Azusa man. According to police, the suspects knew the victim, but authorities have not released the names of anyone involved pending the arrest of the fourth suspect.

On Monday, police responding to a report of a domestic disturbance arrived at a home in the unincorporated area of Azusa at the 6100 block of Goodway Drive. They found a large pool of blood at the scene but no body. They couldn't be sure that a crime had occurred, but it seemed likely. By 6 p.m. Wednesday, investigators found their victim, a man whose body had been dumped 30 feet down the hillside in heavy brush on San Gabriel Canyon Road (Highway 39) near mile marker 20, in Azusa Canyon. The man was the victim of blunt force trauma, according to Deputy Trina Schrader of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Information Bureau.

Shortly after, they arrest three men in their early 20s in connection with the homicide.

"One suspect remains outstanding, therefore no suspect names are being released at this time, nor is the motive," sheriff's officials said in a written release. "Investigators determined, the victim in this case had been assaulted at the Goodway Drive location before being driven to Azusa Canyon where his body was thrown off the side of the road. It is yet to be determined if the victim was killed at the home, or if the victim was killed at the location his body was discovered."

The victim's name was not released, pending family notification.

Anyone with information about this incident is encouraged to contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500.

City News Service contributed to this report. Image courtesy of the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department.