No signs of trauma found on body dumped near Ralphs

Huntington Beach police have identified the dead body of a 26-year-old resident left in broad daylight in a shopping center parking lot, but they have yet to determine whether to arrest someone because of it.

The body of Brandon M. Contreras, 26, Huntington Beach, was reportedly left about 3 p.m. Sunday by a man in a pickup truck in front of the Ralphs supermarket at Brookhurst Street and Adams Avenue, police said.

While initial police records said the cause of death was possibly a drug overdose, police Lt. Dave Bunetta said authorities were still awaiting the results of toxicology testing. The autopsy didn’t find signs of trauma, authorities said.

Police know who drove the truck and intend to question the person, but have not released that person’s name because they haven’t yet determined whether to launch a criminal investigation, Bunetta said.

Asked whether, in general, dumping a body after a friend overdosed would be a crime, Bunetta said it depended on the situation.

“It potentially could be if the subjects did not seek medical aid or assistance,” he said. “But at this point nobody’s been arrested. We’re still trying to gather the facts.”