Body Found North of Ortega Highway; Second Discovered in Area in a Week

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO —  Afternoon hikers found a body Sunday north of Ortega Highway near the border of Orange and Riverside counties, Sheriff’s Department officials said.

An autopsy is to be performed this morning. Authorities released no information Sunday except to say that the body was wrapped in something and was found off a dirt road in a wilderness area about 4 1/2 miles north of the highway, toward Santiago Peak.

Exactly one week earlier, a passing driver on Ortega Highway found the body of a young Latina. An autopsy found that she died of multiple stab wounds, but the woman still has not been identified.

Sheriff’s Lt. William Francis said: “We don’t have any (connection) yet, but I’m sure our homicide detail is working on it. At this point, they’re isolated incidents.”