Authorities ID body found under bridge

Officials Tuesday evening identified the woman whose body was found under an East Coast Highway bridge as Nancy Hammour.

Orange County Sheriff’s Lt. Jeff Hallock said Hammour was 28. Her city of residence was unknown, he said.

About 8:45 a.m. Monday someone saw a woman lying face down under the south side of the bridge that spans the bay between Bayside Drive and Dover Drive, said Newport Beach police spokeswoman Jennifer Manzella.

Upon arrival, authorities determined the woman was dead, according to Manzella.

The death is being investigated as “suspicious,” as all deaths in the city are initially classified, Manzella said.

An autopsy was to be conducted, an Orange County Sheriff’s Department spokesman said Tuesday morning.

Orange County Sheriff’s Department divers aided police in collecting evidence Monday by scouring the area under the bridge.

No further information about the investigation, including the suspected cause of her death, was available Tuesday.

Terese Pearson, owner of nearby fish market Pearson’s Port, said Monday that a couple walking their dog found the body.

She said that when she arrived at her business about 8:15 a.m., she didn’t notice anything suspicious but later

saw the police cars.

“I poked my head out to see if they had guns drawn,” Pearson said. “I didn’t know what was going on.”

All trails and walkways under the bridge were temporarily roped off Monday morning, and northbound East Coast Highway was restricted to one lane between Dover and Bayside.

Police and Sheriff’s Department officials cleared the scene overnight, Manzella said.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call Newport police Det. Ryan Peters at (949) 644-3779.