Small Child Was Found Dead in a Calif. Parking Lot — and Police Are Left Shaken by 'Horrific' Crime

The body of a small child was discovered in a parking lot in Panorama City on Saturday, July 12.

Authorities said the boy, who is believed to be between the ages of 3 and 4, was found near dumpsters in the 8200 block of Van Nuys Boulevard, the Los Angeles Times reported.

“This is horrific, and it impacts every single one of us that comes to these scenes, everyone at home who hears about these scenes,” Los Angeles Police Department Detective Meghan Aguilar said, per ABC7. “…We’ve got mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, anyone — you don’t have to be one of those to know how horrific this is. I don’t know the cause of death of this individual, again, that will be up to the coroner to determine. But no one deserves to be handled in this manner.”

The LAPD said officers from Mission Division responded to a call about the child at 7 a.m. on Saturday, July 12. The boy was pronounced deceased at the scene.

“We have officers in the area canvassing for potential video and witnesses to try to determine how this poor young child ended up here,” Aguilar said, per Fox 11.

The coroner’s office will determine the child’s cause and manner of death.

The LAPD’s Juvenile Division-Abused Child Unit is handling the case.

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On Saturday, members of the community held a vigil for the unidentified boy.

“It weighs on the heart, definitely, because 3-4 years old, so innocent,” resident Corey Watkins told KTLA5. “They don’t necessarily know what’s going on, and they’re looking to adults for protection.”

Another resident, Christian Sanchez, said his family owns Nob Hill Banquet and Conference Center, located a couple of yards away from the crime scene. He told KTLA that the child was discarded in the same place where they dispose of their trash.

“I’m a father,” Sanchez said, per KTLA. “4 years old, I can’t even imagine the pain that little baby went through. Can you imagine?”

If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.