Body found in column of California grocery store

A grocery store manager was smelling a strong odor in front of the business, but he probably never thought that it was a person’s body decomposing inside a support column.

Homicide detectives in Los Angeles County were called to the WinCo Foods store in Lancaster, California Saturday after a plumber discovered the remains of a person encased in a concrete column, KABC reported.

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The manager originally thought the odor people were noticing was from a sewage leak, so he called in a plumber. But when the plumber and a store handyman broke off brick from the column, they found a shoe and leg inside, KTLA reported.

Officials believe the remains belong to a man who ran from police last Monday. The police chase ended with a car crash before the man ran into the store and onto the roof. Police were not able to find him, KABC reported.

A spokesperson for law enforcement said that there was access to the fascia of the store and down into the column, KABC reported.

Officials searched for the unidentified man, but didn’t find him and assumed that he got away.

The coroner is examining the remains to find out if he fell into the column or became trapped and wasn’t able to get out.

Cox Media Group