Children searching for Easter eggs in a Long Beach park instead uncovered what investigators believe may be human remains, triggering an immediate police response and a death investigation.
Officers with the Long Beach Police Department rushed to DeForest Park around 5 p.m. Sunday after reports that a small skull-like object had been discovered during a holiday egg hunt. Families had gathered across the park when the find brought the event to a sudden halt.
Authorities have not identified who located the remains, but investigators say the object was partially buried in dirt in an area where children had been actively searching.
Preliminary information suggests the remains may include a small skull, possibly belonging to an infant, though officials have not confirmed that determination.
Sections of the park were sealed off with yellow tape as officers established a perimeter and blocked access to the immediate area. A white canopy, commonly used in death investigations, was set up within a dense section of brush where the remains were located.
Emergency crews and investigators remained on site as the response expanded.
A fire engine from the Long Beach Fire Department was also seen at the park, while additional personnel worked around the cordoned-off section as families were cleared from the area.
Marc Zaldana, who had been walking along a nearby trail, described the moment the situation shifted.
“At first we saw the family there, doing like an Easter egg hunt, but they were freaking out a little bit,” Zaldana said. “I can only imagine, like for them, finding a dead, another kid. Must be tragic for them.”
Investigators have released few confirmed details as they work to determine exactly what was found.
A department spokesperson said Monday that the scene remains active and that officials are waiting on further examination.
“At this time, there are no updates to share. Officers remain on scene at De Forest Park, and we are still awaiting the response of the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office,” the spokesperson stated.
The medical examiner’s office has since joined the investigation and is expected to conduct forensic analysis on the remains.
Investigators now need to confirm if the bones are human, estimate how long they have been there, and check for any ties to open cases or reported disappearances.
Investigators are also working to establish how the remains ended up in the park and whether the location was used to conceal evidence.
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Police have not indicated that there is any immediate threat to the public, but they have not ruled out the possibility that the case could develop into a homicide investigation depending on forensic findings.
The discovery has left major questions unanswered, including whether the remains were recently placed in the park or had been buried there for an extended period before being uncovered.
Elsewhere, a separate incident tied to Easter weekend resulted in an arrest after a woman dressed as the Easter Bunny was allegedly assaulted at a shopping mall near Pittsburgh.
Police say Bera Shivakrishna was taken into custody after an encounter at South Hills Village Mall in Upper St. Clair.
According to a criminal complaint, the woman was posing for photos with children when the suspect approached and began asking questions.
The man allegedly made inappropriate remarks about the costume before touching the victim. Police say he first made contact with her arm, then moved to her chest, and ultimately grabbed her breasts.
An assistant who was working nearby attempted to intervene, but the suspect allegedly refused to disengage.
The assistant told investigators the man repeatedly asked, “Is it a boy or a girl?” during the encounter.
Police say the suspect also placed his fingers inside the nose and mouth of the costume.
Security footage from the mall helped investigators identify the suspect and confirm the sequence of events.
Shivakrishna was later located inside a nearby movie theater, where officers found him asleep in the upper rows of seating.
After being detained, police say he made several statements that were included in the complaint.
“If I did not watch a movie here I wouldn’t have been caught,” he told officers.
He also asked, “Is it on the close to Five Below, the merchandise thing, the bunny?” according to police.
After being read his Miranda rights, investigators say he questioned whether the victim was real. “It’s a doll, right?” he asked.
When officers clarified that the victim was a person, he responded, “By mistake, my hand touched her, if it’s a lady.”
Police say he later told investigators he was trying to “test if it’s real or fake” in reference to the victim’s chest.
He was charged with indecent assault and is being held on $10,000 bond at the Allegheny County Jail. Court records show he is scheduled to appear for a preliminary hearing.
In Idaho, a family dispute escalated into a violent confrontation and a police pursuit on Easter Sunday.
Caldwell Police say officers responded around 6:30 p.m. after reports that a man was attacking his father and behaving in an extremely aggressive manner.
The suspect was identified as 21-year-old Elijah Zufelt. Police say Zufelt initially left the home but later returned and threatened his father with a knife.
When officers arrived, they found him using his vehicle to ram multiple parked cars at the residence. Authorities say he then drove toward the front yard where family members were standing.
An officer positioned a patrol vehicle in his path to prevent him from striking the group. Police say Zufelt’s vehicle collided with the patrol unit before he fled at high speed.
“Our officer initiated a vehicle pursuit that traveled on city streets for approximately half a mile before coming to an end when Zufelt’s vehicle became inoperable due to damage caused by the collisions,” police said.
“Zufelt surrendered to officers without further incident and was taken into custody near Marble Front Road and Mason Road.”
He was transported to a hospital for evaluation and is now facing multiple charges, including aggravated assault, DUI, eluding, and resisting officers.
In Louisiana, authorities are searching for a 22-year-old accused of killing his mother and grandmother inside their home on Easter.
St. Bernard Parish deputies responded around 7:45 p.m. to a residence on Centanni Drive, where they found 55-year-old Trenelle Collins and 75-year-old Mary Major suffering from gunshot wounds. Both victims were taken to a hospital, where they died.
Investigators say an argument between Collins and her son, Lee Collins III, turned physical before escalating further.
Authorities say Major attempted to intervene before the suspect went to his room, retrieved a firearm, and opened fire.
After the shooting, a person matching the suspect’s description was seen on surveillance video stealing a truck nearby.
A license plate reader later tracked the vehicle traveling along Interstate 10 toward Mississippi.
The suspect remains at large, and the weapon used in the shooting has not been recovered.
