Los Angeles:  The dismembered body of an adult man was found stuffed in plastic bags, inside a shopping cart on Sunday, February 5, 2006.  The cause and mode of death are pending the results of a Coroner's autopsy, later this week.

Residents in the neighborhood of 8600 Langdon Street called the fire department around 2 PM to report what appeared to be dead animal remains.  Firefighters called the police when the remains turned out to be human. 

"It was a pretty grisly sight, a torso and limbs, but no head," confirmed LAPD spokesman Lieutenant Paul Vernon.  "The man appeared to be Caucasian or Hispanic and an adult, but that's about all we know."

Coroner investigators preliminarily estimated the man had been dead several days.  Until an autopsy can determine the cause and mode of death, the case is classified as a suspicious death.

Vernon said, "It's most likely going to be classified as a homicide, but if the Coroner is able to find what the man died of, say, a heart attack, it could be classified as a natural death.  We'll have to wait and see.  Nevertheless, homicide detectives are carrying the case for now.”

Anyone with information is asked to call Mission Area Homicide Detectives at 818-838-9800.  On weekends and during off-hours, call the 24-hour toll free number at 1-877-LAWFULL (529-3855).