Person of interest sought after woman's suspicious death in Whittier, police say

WHITTIER, Calif. (KABC) -- A 56-year-old man was being sought as a person of interest after the suspicious death of a woman whose body was found Tuesday morning in Whittier, authorities said.

Officers responded about 7:30 a.m. to a report of a "man down" at an apartment complex in the 11700 block of Floral Avenue, according to the Whittier Police Department. An unresponsive woman in her 50s was located at the scene, where she was pronounced dead.

The victim's identity was being withheld pending notification of her family, investigators said. The cause of death was not immediately known.

The police department's Investigations Bureau released a photo of Rafael Castillo, and the vehicle he is believed to be driving, as part of the effort to locate him.

Police say Castillo and the victim knew each other but would not elaborate. Police are trying to determine if this is a murder case, describing the incident as suspicious.

Castillo is described as Hispanic, 5 feet 11 inches tall, weighing 220 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. He is said to be in a 1998 Nissan Altima with license plate No. 6XEW444.

Anyone with information about the person of interest's whereabouts is asked to call Whittier police at (562) 567-9283.