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Woman Found Dead In Burning Car In La Habra Heights, Investigation Underway

CITY OF INDUSTRY (CBSLA) – A woman on her morning walk in La Habra Heights discovered a small fire burning on the passenger side of a white Nissan, but when firefighters arrived, they found the body of a woman inside.

Los Angeles County Sheriffs said the call came in around 10 a.m. in the morning. Though the car was burning when the neighbor discovered it, detectives also found bullet holes in the door and, now, detectives are unsure of how the woman died.

"I'm just, like, shocked that this is actually happening," Jody Pecoraro, who lives nearby, said. "We are not freeway accessible. It's like five miles each way to get to a freeway."

Investigators said they think the woman was killed at another location and driven to this remote area near North Cypress Street and Nabal Road. Neighbors who live above the crime scene said the location of the car is remote, with homes only on the streets above or below and at least some of them think the killer probably knew that.

"This is the quietest neighborhood," Luz Preziose said. "We've lived here for 38 year all throughout La Habra. We've never experienced anything like this so close to home. This is very disconcerting."

Detectives did say that they know who the owner of the white Nissan is, but do not know if the owner is connected in any way to the crime.

"It's sad. It's tragic and it just goes to show that we all need to be extra careful no matter what, and watch out for each other," Preziose said.

Investigators are still attempting to identify the victim and continue to search for the suspect.

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