Body of girl found in Fairview Park

COSTA MESA -- A 16-year-old girl was found dead along a brush-covered

trail in Fairview Park early Friday morning, officials said.

The body of the girl, identified only as a Costa Mesa resident, was

spotted by a resident on a trail in the 2500 block of Placentia Avenue

near Pacific Avenue, said Costa Mesa Police Sgt. Don Holford.

“We don’t know the cause of death,” he said. “It seems to have been

some kind of trauma, but there were no visible wounds or injuries.”

Holford said the girl’s body was found fully clothed, lying on the

trail where many people go walking and hiking every day. An autopsy will

be done today, he said.

Officials declined to release further information about the girl

because of her age and also because her family had not been notified. But

Holford said she did not attend any Newport-Mesa high school and that she

was home schooled.

Police are treating the case as a homicide, but have neither made

arrests nor identified suspects yet.

Residents who live near the park said they were shaken up by the

incident.

“I live only two blocks from here,” said Jose Rodriguez. “Everything

has always been normal around here.”

He said he hopes this is a sporadic incident.

“I moved from Santa Ana to here two years ago because it’s a nice

area,” he said. “I’m just amazed.”

But Brenda Poulson, a Costa Mesa resident for 32 years, said she has

always been afraid to walk by herself on the trails.

“It’s so open, it gets lonely sometimes,” she said. “The trails are

just a perfect place for this kind of activity. It’s very scary.”

Jorge Torres, who was in the park with his family Friday afternoon,

said he was surprised.

“I’ve always seen police drive around here all the time,” he said. “I

thought it was a safe place.”

Javier Gonzalez, who was with Torres, said he had a friend who was

beaten up on the trails by gang members eight years ago.

“That was the first time I heard something like that happen here,” he

said. “This is the second time.”

Anyone with information about the murder is asked to call Costa Mesa

Police at (714) 754-5281.