LOS ANGELES _ At least three bodies were discovered in a parked vehicle in the city of Burbank on Tuesday, police said.
"This is a homicide involving a parked vehicle," Sgt. Derek Green of the Burbank Police Department said.
The bodies were discovered during the investigation of a parking complaint on South Varney Street just after 7 a.m., Green said.
"At least one person was found deceased by a parking officer," he said. "Paramedics arrived. Two additional occupants were located inside the car. All three were pronounced dead at the scene."
Tuesday afternoon, investigators had the area cordoned off with yellow police tape.
Lisa Alvarez, who works around the corner from where the bodies were found, described the vehicle as a red Jeep and said she first noticed it parked in a no-parking zone about noon Monday.
"It caught my attention because it wasn't supposed to be parked there but it didn't look suspicious. I thought, 'Oh that car is going to get a ticket," Alvarez said. "It's terrible. I am so sorry."
She said that police blocked off the street early Tuesday morning. She described the street as industrial and generally quiet.
According to police, the vehicle has Tennessee license plates and the bodies did not have obvious signs of trauma. Police believe that the bodies may have been "dumped" at the location, which is adjacent to the 5 Freeway.
"This is a rather desolate and secluded area, especially after business hours," Green said. "There's pretty much nothing going on back here and no reason for people to drive through here ... We don't know exactly how long the car has been here."
If the victims were killed someplace else and dumped in Burbank, Green said it could create a jurisdictional issue where they have to figure out which agency is going to investigate.
