Authorities say a child found a human skull in DeForest Park while hunting for eggs on Easter Sunday.
At about 4:48 p.m. on Sunday, a 911 caller reported that a child was looking for eggs along a dirt path in the park when they found the skull buried under the dirt, according to Long Beach police.
Officers responded to the scene and taped off a section of the dirt path, then contacted the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner, police said.
Medical examiner staff went to the scene and determined Sunday night that they needed a forensic anthropology team to respond the next morning.
On Monday morning, that team recovered a “skeletonized human skull and mandible” from the dirt path adjacent to East Osgood Street, Kelly Vail, a spokesperson for the department, said in a statement.
No information was immediately available about the person’s age or identity.
Homicide investigators also responded to the scene, but were awaiting a cause of death determination from the Medical Examiner’s Office.
It’s not the first time human remains have been found at a public place in Long Beach.
In April 2025, a 911 caller reported finding bones in the sand along Junipero Beach.
Crews eventually found bones that weighed a total of 4 pounds and measured 27 inches long.
Authorities still do not know that person’s identity – even after submitting a DNA sample to a national registry of missing people – but reported that the remains were likely from a woman over the age of 40.