Woman drove around with corpse for nearly a year

Authorities say a woman drove around with a mummified corpse for about ten months before the body was discovered by police. Officers made the gruesome discovery on Monday while responding to a report of an illegally parked car. Police say the woman tried to cover the remains with pieces of clothing. The car was blocking a driveway in the 2000 block of Tustin Avenue in Costa Mesa.

Officers could smell a foul odour coming from the car, and after seeing a leg underneath the clothing, broke a window to get access inside. Inside the car, officers also found a box of baking soda that the driver used to try to dissipate the smell. Costa Mesa police believe the body is that a transient woman in her 50's from Fountain Valley.

The driver of the car says she befriended the woman at a local park and allowed her to sleep in the car overnight. When she found the woman had died, she continued to drive the car with the body, said Sgt. Ed Everett. The driver told police she was afraid to contact police about the body, so she continued to drive the car.

An autopsy has revealed no obvious signs of foul play. Officials believe the woman had been dead for as long as 10 months, Everett said. The lack of air inside the vehicle, and weather conditions at the time of death, are believed to have contributed to partial preservation of the body.