Autopsy on body believed to be missing woman finds no obvious trauma

An autopsy Wednesday found no obvious signs of physical trauma on a body believed to be a Laguna Hills woman who disappeared after a Valentine’s Day date in Costa Mesa, according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Department.

Officials are running toxicology tests as they try to determine the cause of death for the decomposing body, which was found Monday in Cleveland National Forest and preliminarily identified as 28-year-old Erica Alonso, sheriff’s Lt. Jeff Hallock said.

“We’re going to handle it procedurally like a homicide investigation, but we’re not in a position to say she died as a result of a homicide,” Hallock said. “She could have died from an accident or something like that.”

Alonso disappeared early Feb. 15 after driving away from the Irvine home of her on-and-off boyfriend after the two had an argument, according to the Sheriff’s Department.

They had gone to the house with another couple after the group had drinks at Sutra Lounge, a Costa Mesa nightclub.

Alonso’s Honda Civic was found March 25 in Aliso Viejo, a mile from her home. But her whereabouts remained unknown.

On Monday morning, biologists working for the California Department of Transportation discovered a decomposing body in a remote area of Cleveland National Forest off Ortega Highway, according to the Sheriff’s Department.

Some tattoos on the body appeared to match those Alonso had, Hallock told KTLA-TV/5, and officials are trying to confirm the body’s identity through fingerprints.

Fearing the worst, Alonso’s father, Isaac Sr., went to the scene Tuesday, hoping to confirm whether the body was his daughter’s, Hallock said.

Isaac Alonso Sr. told KABC-TV/7, “I want to know, I want to find out.”

Erica Alonso’s brother Isaac Jr. thanked the family’s supporters.

“On behalf of the family, we want to thank everybody who has helped us look for Erica,” Isaac Alonso Jr. told KTLA.

Last week, the family offered a $5,000 reward to help find her.

Rocha and Serna write for the Los Angeles Times.