Woman finds body in trunk of car outside Riverside Walmart

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KABC) -- Authorities are investigating the circumstances that led a woman to find a decomposed body of a man in the trunk of her 1999 Lexus Saturday.

The discovery was made in the parking lot of a Walmart in the 5200 block of Van Buren Boulevard in Riverside around 4:45 p.m.

Investigators say the owner of the vehicle, who lives in Pomona and works in Riverside, told police her car had smelled all day.

"She had come to Walmart, smelled something funny in her car, opened her trunk up and there's a body inside," Riverside police Sgt. Dave Amador said.

Police say the woman knows who the man is, but says she has no idea how he ended up in her trunk. She was cooperating with police, who did not consider her a suspect.

Witnesses said they heard the woman say it was her former neighbor. Detectives won't say what her relationship is to the victim, only that he was not her husband.

Detectives were able to determine that the victim more than likely died in Pomona.

Given the extreme heat, authorities say, decomposition occurred rapidly. An autopsy will determine how the man died and when.

"It's a one-of-a-kind," Amador said. "We do get bodies in trunks, but, you know, when they open it up and say they know them and don't know they were in there, that's unusual."

Pomona police took over the investigation. No further details were released.

CNS contributed to this report.