Woman Found Dead In Murrieta City Hall Parking Lot, Person Detained

MURRIETA, CA — A woman found dead in the Murrieta City Hall parking lot Friday had a traumatic injury, and a person was detained in the investigation, according to police.

The Murrieta Police Department received a 911 call at 10:35 a.m. about a woman needing medical help in its parking lot, the agency reported.

The department and paramedics from Murrieta Fire & Rescue responded and found the woman inside a white Hyundai Elantra that was parked in front of City Hall. She was pronounced dead, according to Murrieta police. Her identity was not released pending notification of next of kin.

The police department and City Hall are both located at Town Square.

A male was detained at the scene but police have not provided an update on his identity or whether he was arrested and booked. His relationship to the victim, if any, was not provided, and it's unclear if he was the 911 caller.

Murrieta police said the woman's fatal injury occurred in another city, "but the exact location is still being determined."

Both Claremont and Pomona police were at the scene Friday. The Pomona Police Department confirmed the death investigation is being led by the Claremont Police Department. An update from the Claremont agency was not provided as of Friday evening.

Murrieta Police Lt. Jeremy Durrant would not confirm whether the woman's death was officially ruled a homicide, but he called the incident a "crime scene investigation." No suspects were outstanding, he said.

How and why the woman ended up at Murrieta City Hall was not clear.

The City Hall/police department parking lot was blocked off due to the investigation that was ongoing as of 4 p.m. City Hall was dark during the investigation — the building closes every other Friday.

This story will be updated as information becomes available.