Severed head, hand found below Hollywood sign

AFP FILE PHOTO

LOS ANGELES—Police found a human hand Wednesday near where a pair of dog walkers found a gruesome severed head, on a hiking trail leading up to the iconic Hollywood sign, a spokesman said.

The hand was found after police sealed off the area overnight following the discovery of the head, reported to be that of a male in his 40s, on a trail in the Hollywood hills.

Detectives believe the victim was killed elsewhere and his body parts dumped on the trail, which leads up through a canyon to the Hollywood sign, photographed by millions of tourists every year.

Two female dog walkers made the gruesome find Tuesday afternoon after noticing two of their dogs playing with an object, which on closer inspection turned out to be a male human head.

Police said the remains appeared to be relatively fresh. The LA Times newspaper reported that the head belonged to an Armenian American in his 40s with salt and pepper hair. Los Angeles has a large Armenian community.

The head — which could be identified by dental records — was being examined Wednesday, said coroner’s assistant chief Ed Winter. The victim’s identity could also be tracked down by fingerprints.

The hillsides around the Hollywood sign are criss-crossed with trails used by hikers, horse riders, and tourists seeking to reach the Tinsel Town symbol, visible from miles away on the northern rim of the sprawling city.