NoHo son lives with 'mummified' mom

NORTH HOLLYWOOD, Calif. The body was discovered on the 6700 block of Vantage Avenue in a home that officials say was filled with trash. On the front lawn alone, boxes, abandoned cars and shopping carts lay scattered, and 26 cats, a number of possums and a family of raccoons were found on the property. And all this time, a man, reportedly the 48-year-old son of the victim, was living inside the house.

Police said the body has likely been there for at least nine months, the corpse so decomposed that authorities could not determine the gender, but police believe it is 86-year-old Barbara Hunt.

Police had gotten a call from a mortgage broker on Monday who said the home was foreclosed and expressed concern about an older woman living there with her son.

When officers went to investigate, there was reportedly so much trash and junk blocking the doorway that firefighters had to be called in to help. Once inside, police found the corpse lying on a bed in a back bedroom.

Officers said the body was so badly decomposed that it almost looked mummified.

The home was so stuffed with garbage that firefighters had to hoist the body out through a back window.

Neighbors said police had been out to the house several times, and they tried to get the son, Robert Hunt, to clean up the place, but he never did.

Apparently the home was under foreclosure for not paying taxes. The house was going to go back to the bank until police found the body.

Neighbors described the family as strange.

Neighbor Marta Gonzalez said she thought Robert Hunt was "a very nice guy," but she wasn't surprised about the incident. Neighbor Tigran Mirzoyan said when Robert Hunt would come out, he wouldn't talk to anybody.

Police have interviewed Robert Hunt, but so far, no charges have been filed.

The coroner's office has yet to determine the cause of death.


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