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During an Easter egg hunt in California, a family stumbled upon something far more shocking than sweets or spare change.
The Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner (DME) has announced the discovery of a human skull in DeForest Park, Long Beach, on Easter Sunday, April 5.
The Long Beach Police Department shared with Oxygen that several families were enjoying holiday activities in the park when one family’s egg hunt led them to find what they believed were skeletal remains.
At approximately 5:00 p.m., authorities received a call reporting the discovery of potential human remains. The medical examiner’s office was notified and promptly sent an investigator to the site, with more advanced recovery operations scheduled for April 6.
The scene was examined thoroughly by the DME’s Special Operations Response Team (SORT). Aerial footage from ABC7 captured what appeared to be a white, round object, partially unearthed, surrounded by brightly colored Easter eggs scattered across the park.
That afternoon, DME confirmed they recovered a skeletonized human skull and mandible (the lower jawbone). The remains were sent to the Forensic Science Center for further examination.
Police explained to Oxygen, Sunday’s Easter egg hunt was an independent gathering and was not hosted or promoted by the city.
“We were literally three spots down. The family was over there. They put the eggs down and the kids were finding them,” Long Beach resident Michael Fuentes shared with ABC7 at the scene. “Out of nowhere, we hear, ‘Hey, dad. Mom. There’s some bones over there.’ Everybody went over there and called the police…It was really tragic. I started crying. It hurt my soul.”
The outlet reported that Fuentes claimed he viewed the skull and described it as “small.”
A local neighbor, Fernando Guzman, also told ABC7 in the aftermath, “I’m sorry for whoever’s kids that even saw that, you know? It sounds pretty bad.”
The medical examiner’s office added in its April 6 statement, “Due to the ongoing investigation into the death, limited information is currently available.”