Body of Woman, 38, Found in Icy Creek Near Santa Clarita

The body of a 38-year-old woman was found in an icy mountain creek north of Santa Clarita on Sunday, four days after she had left a nearby home where she was visiting a friend, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said.

The identity and residence of the woman, a visitor from another state, was not released pending notification of relatives.

Deputy Roger Hom said investigators would await the results of an autopsy before deciding whether to begin a homicide investigation. He said there were no apparent injuries to the body and no signs of foul play.

The body was found about 12:40 p.m. by a passer-by along the creek in the 34800 block of Bouquet Canyon Road, near where the woman had parked her car Wednesday while visiting a friend who lived nearby, Hom said. The woman’s body was partly submerged in the creek, which had iced over in some spots, he said.

The woman had not been reported missing because she was vacationing on her own, authorities said. The friend she had visited thought she had continued her travels after saying goodby Wednesday at 8 p.m. and heading back to her car, Hom said. The dead woman’s car was found where she had left it.