KEY POINTS

  • Police said the woman has been deceased for some time 
  • The nature of their relationship has not been disclosed 
  • Officers are collecting evidence as part of investigation

San Diego Police have opened an investigation into the "suspicious" death of a woman inside a house filled with natural gas. Officers also found a "disoriented elderly male in the garage" of the house in California.

Police were called for a welfare check at the house on the 3600 block of Mount Abbey Avenue in Claremont Mesa West Monday night by a neighbor, reported 10 News.

On arrival, they found the man, who was disoriented, inside the garage. "The vehicle inside the garage was running, and the garage was filled with exhaust fumes. The home was also filled with the odor of natural gas," Lt. Andra Brown of the San Diego Police Department told KUSI.

The officers who checked the home found the deceased woman inside. "It is unknown when or how the female died, but she had been deceased for some time," the department added.

Brown said it is unclear how the woman died. Investigators are currently collecting evidence and trying to find witnesses.

The man was immediately rushed to the hospital. Besides him, three officers too had to be hospitalized due to carbon monoxide exposure. Brown said that while the officers have been released in good condition, the 84-year-old man was kept for additional treatment.

Though the officers have not revealed the identity of the man, they described him as a resident of the home. The woman too "is believed to be a resident of the home," said Brown. Other details about their relationship have not been disclosed to the public yet.

Anyone with information is asked to call the police at (619) 531-2293 or Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.

In a similar incident that happened last week, a Pennsylvania man's body was found inside a house that police say had "extreme hoarding" conditions. Officers also rescued his mother, who appeared invalid, from the house. Though the reason for the house visit is unclear, reports said neighbors raised concern about a stench coming from the house. On arrival, the officers saw hoarding conditions that made it difficult to enter the house.

Authorities had to struggle through piles of debris and garbage to get to the first floor where they discovered the woman. The man's body was found upstairs.

Crime Scene
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