The Los Angeles Police Department is investigating the death of a young boy in Panorama City after his body was found Saturday morning near a dumpster. According to a report from ABC7, the boy, aged between 3 and 5, was discovered on the 8200 block of Van Nuys Boulevard by a homeless man around 7 a.m., sparking a homicide investigation by LAPD's Juvenile Division-Abused Child Unit.
An LAPD spokesperson, Detective Meghan Aguilar, described the incident as "horrific" and "heinous" in a statement obtained by ABC7. The department is canvassing the neighborhood for witnesses and looking for any surveillance video that may provide additional information. Details on the child's identity or cause of death were not immediately provided, pending the coroner's examination. Aguilar also expressed the shared impact of the tragedy on the community, stating, "To be left out and discovered by a stranger is absolutely horrible."
As reported by NBC Los Angeles, the investigation drew attention from local employees, such as Carlos Martinez, who works at a dental office nearby. "I got really sad because I never thought it was going to be a child inside there and I got really sad because I have a grandson," he told NBC Los Angeles, illustrating the emotional response from community members.
CBS News Los Angeles reported that Aguilar is urging the public to come forward with any information that could assist in identifying the boy. "We wouldn't expect there to be fingerprints of this child in a database," Aguilar said, underscoring the challenge authorities face in such a young victim's identification process.
The neighborhood reaction was one of mourning and disbelief, with residents quickly setting up a memorial of flowers and candles near the area where the boy was found. Neighbors have also organized a vigil to honor the child's memory, as reported by both ABC7 and KTLA. The LAPD continues to investigate the circumstances surrounding the death and is awaiting the autopsy report to determine more details about how the child died.
