Police served a series of search warrants today in a Montecito Heights neighborhood and detained at least three people for questioning as they continued investigating the deaths of two young women whose bodies were found in a park several blocks away. The warrants were served about 5:30 a.m. in the 3400 block of Galena Street, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. The neighborhood is near the location where the bodies of Gabriela Calzada, 19, and 17-year-old Briana Gallegos were found at 2:20 p.m. Oct. 28. Their deaths have been classified as homicides. Briana was reported missing about 9 p.m. Oct. 28, roughly seven hours after the bodies were found.
The bodies were found near Mercury and Boundary avenues along a walking path through Ernest E. Debs Regional Park. “We served the search warrants on several locations,” LAPD Capt. Martin Baeza said. “And the reason that we did is because there was a connection in the relationships to individuals knowing each other, and we believe that their relationship(s) will lead us to some additional information.”
Police said several people were detained for questioning. Neighbors told reporters at the scene that three people were detained. KFI radio reported that, according to neighbors, one of the three people detained was Calzada’s boyfriend, who had also been dating Gallegos. Police have said the victims were fully clothed and did not appear to have been sexually assaulted. It was unclear how long the bodies had been at the park before they were found by a woman walking her dog.
Los Angeles police Cmdr. Andrew Smith has said the bodies had evidence of blunt-force trauma, but it’s unclear if that was the cause of death. It was unclear whether the deaths were linked to a series of assaults that occurred in the same park last year.
