Officers responded shortly before 5:30 a.m. to a report of a stabbing near the intersection of Bassett Street and Canoga Avenue, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
Investigators learned that an altercation took place between the victim and the suspect, leading to the stabbing, an LAPD spokesperson said. Initial reports of an attempted carjacking were not immediately confirmed.
The woman, identified only as being in her 40s, was pronounced dead at the scene. Her vehicle, a green Ford, was found at the location, which was cordoned off with yellow tape outside a mortuary.
The assailant fled in a white minivan, police said. Detailed descriptions of the vehicle and the person being sought were not available.
News video from the scene showed a canopy that was set up over the woman's body. Nearly a dozen evidence markers were seen on the sidewalk as homicide detectives conducted their investigation.